Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 1, 2026

Optic Nerve Transection: A Model of Adult Neuron Apoptosis in the Central Nervous System
Published on: May 12, 2011
Unsuccessful surgical excision of optic nerve drusen
Magdalena Pfriem1, Hans Hoerauf
1Department of Ophthalmology, Medical University of Goettingen, 37099, Goettingen, Germany. mpfriem@yahoo.de
Background:
To report the case of failed surgical excision of optic nerve drusen (OND).
Methods:
Case report. A 53-year-old woman presented with bilateral OND leading to progressive field defects and LE light perception and RE 20/25 vision. A vitrectomy was performed on the legally-blind left eye to test the resectability of OND.
Results:
The removal of superficial OND failed because the singular-appearing superficial OND presented as one large mass with multiple excrescences on its surface. Retinal vessels passed through it, which made an excision impossible.
Conclusion:
OND cannot always be removed surgically, due to their variable consistency and hardness.
Related Concept Videos
Open Angle Glaucoma: Treatment
Drugs such as carbonic anhydrase inhibitors, α2- and...
Glaucoma: Overview
Angle Closure Glaucoma: Treatment
