The OD that was OCD about ODD: Optic Disc Drusen or Disc Edema?

In the presence of an edematous-appearing nerve, observation alone will not determine the diagnosis. Clinical presentation may be extremely difficult to differentiate pseudopapilledema from true disc edema. Optic disc edema presents as an optic disc with blurred edges that could often have peripapillary hemorrhages. Most cases resolve within 4-6 weeks and after resolution, the optic nerves tend to have varying degrees of pallor. It is impossible to determine optic disc edema or pseudo disc edema by observation alone. Rarely, a case may present where the patient has both true disc edema and pseudo disc edema. With additional testing and exclusion principles, clinicians can make a definitive diagnosis. Ancillary testing is key in a thorough clinical evaluation of a suspected swollen disc. Optic disc drusen are typically calcified deposits that are often bilateral. Patients are commonly visually asymptomatic. Drusen that are beneath the disc’s surface can mimic a swollen disc and is the most common cause of pseudopapilledema. This case report will include all findings and discussion of optic disc edema and optic disc drusen. This report will also show the rare event of a patient not only being diagnosed with optic disc drusen, but actual disc edema as well relating to amiodarone use.