Peripapillary subretinal neovascularization causing pseudoedema of the optic disc

A patient with typical lesions of senile macular degeneration exhibited an apparent swollen disc in one eye. A leaking peripapillary subretinal neovascular membrane was found to be the cause of the disc edema. The experience with this case indicates that such a membrane should be considered in the differential diagnosis of the swollen disc, especially when macular degeneration is present.