Structural Damage, Visual Field Loss, and Quality of Life in Optic Disc Drusen - A Case-Control Study with Integrated Data-Driven Phenotypes

Q: What clinical impact of optic disc drusen (ODD) is the study focused on?

The study focuses on how structure–function damage from ODD relates to vision-related and generic quality of life, alongside visual field loss.

Q: How were patients with ODD and controls selected and matched?

Adults with ultrasonography- or OCT-confirmed ODD were age- and sex-matched 1:1 to controls without ODD, forming a retrospective case-control comparison.

Q: Which measures were used to assess structure–function damage and quality of life?

Structure–function damage was assessed using BCVA, RNFL thickness, and standard automated perimetry, while QoL was measured with NEI VFQ-25 and EQ-5D-5L.

Sep 30, 2026

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Optic disc drusen (ODD) can lead to optic neuropathy, yet the relationship between structure–function damage and quality of life (QoL) remains insufficiently defined. A tertiary-clinic comparison matched 60 ODD adults with 60 controls using retrospective clinical and imaging measures (BCVA, RNFL thickness, perimetry) combined with NEI VFQ-25 and EQ-5D-5L. ODD showed poorer vision metrics, more reproducible field defects, and lower vision-specific and generic QoL, with BCVA, mean deviation, EQ-5D, age, RNFL thinning, and migraine linked to outcomes.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages18

Reading Time45 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Background/Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Introduction

Article Structural Damage, Visual Field Loss, and Quality of Life in Optic Disc Drusen: A Case–Control Study with Integrated Data-Driven Phenotypes Alina Dumitriu 1,2, Bogdan Dumitriu 1,*, Luana Maria Gosman 2 and Mihnea Munteanu 2 Received: 20 November 2025 Revised: 9 December 2025 Accepted: 12 December 2025 Published: 22 December 2025 Copyright: © 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. 1 Doctoral School,“Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; [alina.moatar@umft.ro](alina.moatar@umft.ro) 2 Department of Ophthalmology,“Victor Babes” University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania; [luana.gosman@umft.ro](luana.gosman@umft.ro) (L.M.G.); [mihnea.munteanu@umft.ro](mihnea.munteanu@umft.ro) (M.M.) * [Correspondence: bogdan.dumitriu@umft.ro](Correspondence: bogdan.dumitriu@umft.ro) Abstract Background/Objectives: Optic disc drusen (ODD) are an under-recognized cause of optic neuropathy, and the impact of structure–function damage on quality of life (QoL) is poorly defined. We compared systemic risk factors, ocular structure–function, and QoL in adults with ODD versus matched controls and identified determinants of impaired vision-related QoL. Methods: In a tertiary clinic, 60 adults with ultrasonography-or OCT-confirmed ODD were age-and sex-matched 1:1 to 60 controls without ODD. Retrospective clinical and imaging data (BCVA, RNFL thickness, standard automated perimetry) were combined with cross-sectional NEI VFQ-25 and EQ-5D-5L scores. Results: ODD patients more often had hypertension (51.7% vs. 31.7%, p = 0.026) and migraine (38.3% vs. 21.7%, p = 0.046) . They showed worse BCVA (0.2 vs. 0.1 logMAR, p < 0.001), thinner RNFL (95.3 vs. 103.8 µm, p < 0.001), more depressed mean deviation (−4.7 vs. −1.3 dB, p < 0.001), and more frequent reproducible visual field defects (68.3% vs. 11.7%, p < 0.001) . Vision-specific QoL was reduced (VFQ-25 composite 77.3 ± 11.4 vs. 89.7 ± 8.6, p < 0.001) and generic health status lower (EQ-5D utility 0.8 ± 0.1 vs. 0.9 ± 0.1, p < 0.001) . In ODD, worse BCVA, more negative mean deviation and lower EQ-5D were independently associated with poorer VFQ-25 (model R2 = 0.57), while older age, thinner RNFL and migraine predicted visual field defects. Conclusions: ODD are associated with substantial visual field loss and clinically meaningful decrements in vision-related and generic QoL. Keywords: drusen; optic disk; visual fields; optic nerve; diseases; quality of life; case– control studies 1. Introduction Optic disc drusen (ODD) are acellular, calcified deposits located within the optic nerve head, typically anterior to the lamina cribrosa. They are thought to arise from impaired axonal metabolism within a congenitally narrow scleral canal in genetically predisposed individuals, leading to intra-axonal accumulation and subsequent extrusion and calcification of axoplasmic by-products [1] . Historically considered benign incidental findings, ODD are now increasingly recognized as a cause of structural optic neuropathy, with a high proportion of affected eyes demonstrating subclinical or symptomatic visual field (VF) loss [1] . Clinically, drusen may be superficial and obvious as refractile bodies, or deeply buried and detectable only with ancillary imaging such as B-scan ultrasonography or optical coherence tomography (OCT) . Because buried ODD can mimic disc edema, it is a frequent diagnostic pitfall in patients investigated for suspected papilledema or raised intracranial pressure [1] . The reported prevalence of ODD in the general population ranges from approximately 0.3% to 2%, depending on age, ethnicity, and diagnostic method, with upper estimates around 2.4% when sensitive imaging techniques are used [1,2] . A recent systematic review and meta-anal

FAQs

What clinical impact of optic disc drusen (ODD) is the study focused on?

The study focuses on how structure–function damage from ODD relates to vision-related and generic quality of life, alongside visual field loss.

How were patients with ODD and controls selected and matched?

Adults with ultrasonography- or OCT-confirmed ODD were age- and sex-matched 1:1 to controls without ODD, forming a retrospective case-control comparison.

Which measures were used to assess structure–function damage and quality of life?

Structure–function damage was assessed using BCVA, RNFL thickness, and standard automated perimetry, while QoL was measured with NEI VFQ-25 and EQ-5D-5L.

Sep 30, 2026

Upload by Indoniesian Boy