How common is optic disc drusen in young patients with NAION?
Reviewed by Lauren Hepworth

A retrospective notes review at two tertiary care centres was completed between 2009 and 2019. The inclusion criteria for the study was a diagnosis of nonarteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy (NAION) in at least one eye, aged between 18 and 50-years-old on attendance and had either optic disc drusen diagnosed or excluded. Thirty-seven patients were included in the study, of which 45 eyes were diagnosed with NAION. The imaging modality used was dependent on the time point of clinic attendance; these included enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT), fundus autofluorescence, ultrasound and CT orbits. The prevalence of optic disc drusen in NAION affected eyes is reported as 53.3%. Over 95% had optic disc drusen bilaterally despite uniocular NAION. This study reports a higher prevalence of optic disc drusen than previously reported in a young population with NAION. It is still unknown whether an older population with NAION also have an increased prevalence of optic disc drusen; future research is required. If these findings are confirmed by larger studies, it may be that this population may benefit from screening using EDI-OCT for optic disc drusen.

Prevalence of optic disc drusen in young patients with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy: a 10-year retrospective study.
Fraser JA, Rueløkke LL, Malmqvist L, Hamann S.
JOURNAL OF NEURO-OPHTHALMOLOGY
2021;41:200-5.