Salvatore M Carnazzo¹*, Desirèe Balconara¹, Francesco Caruso² and Piero Pavone³

¹Postgraduate Training Program in Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital “Policlinico-San Marco of Catania, Italy
²Postgraduate Training Program in Hygiene and Preventive Medicine Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Catania, Italy
³Acute End Emergency Pediatric Unit, Auo Policlinico 'Rodolico-san Marco' University of Catania, Italy

*Shared Authorship: Salvatore M Carnazzo, Postgraduate Training Program in Pediatrics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital “Policlinico-San Marco of Catania, Italy.

Received: April 12, 2023; Published: April 25, 2023

Abstract

Optic disc drusen are calcified deposits located at the anterior optic nerve head that can cause symptoms such as amaurosis or visual defects if they are voluminous. This article discusses the pathophysiology, diagnosis, prevalence, and associated complications of optic disc drusen, highlighting the need for differential diagnosis between optic disc drusen and papilledema, which can be challenging, leading to unnecessary investigations. The article presents a case of a 5-year-old boy who presented with symptoms of headache, pain with eye movements, vomiting, and vision loss, which was ultimately diagnosed with optic disc drusen. The article emphasizes that a correct diagnosis of optic disc drusen cannot be made based solely on clinical history and funduscopy and discusses the effectiveness of different diagnostic methods, including ultrasound. This case report emphasizes the importance of differential diagnosis between optic disc drusen and papilledema and highlights the need for clinicians to be aware of the challenges in diagnosing optic disc drusen. A correct diagnosis of optic disc drusen is crucial in avoiding unnecessary and invasive investigations. The article concludes by discussing the clinical relevance of optic disc drusen and their potential to cause symptoms and be recognized in several pathologies.

Keywords:Optic Disc Drusen; Optical Coherence Tomography; Papilledema; Misdiagnosis; Visual Evoked Potentials; Pediatric; Fundus Oculi Examination

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Citation

Citation: Salvatore M Carnazzo., et al. “Optic Disc Drusen in a Child: A Challenging Differential Diagnosis - A Case Report". Acta Scientific Paediatrics 6.5 (2023): 35-37.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2023 Salvatore M Carnazzo., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.