CLINICAL CASES   

Minerva Oftalmologica 2006 June;48(2):59-61

Copyright © 2006 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Clinical case of retinitis pigmentosa and drusen of the head of the optical nerve

Rossi S., Catapano A., Maggio E., de Benedictis A., Iaccarino G., Testa F.

Centro Studi Retinopatie Ereditarie Dipartimento di Oftalmologia Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Napoli

A clinical case of association between Retinitis Pigmentosa and optic disc drusen is described. In a 25 years old patient, who complained dark blindness, hard reduction of visual acuity and light dazzling, during an ophthalmological examination that included the determination of the visual acuity, the biomicroscopy, the examination of the ocular bottom, the examination of the visual field and elettroretinogramma (the ERG), next to a typical picture of retinitis pigmentosa we have found the presence of large interesting white-yellowish round formations in the optical disc. The ultrasonographic examinations have concurred to place diagnosis of drusen of the head of the optical nerve in patient affected from typical Retnitis pigmentosa. Optic disc drusen are congenital and developmental anomalies of the optic nerve head seen commonly in clinical practice, often as an incidental ophthalmologic finding during routine exams. Visual acuity is often not affected. It is important to consider optic nerve head drusen in the differential diagnosis of hamartoma and neoformations of optic nerve head. The diagnosis can be made with clinical findings combined with A-scan and B-scan ultrasonography.