Age-related Macular Degeneration Associated with Optic Disc Drusen

Anas Alkhabaz¹Min Young Kim^1,2Rishita Pujari¹Jamie Zhang¹Yulan Ren¹Loh-Shan Leung¹Yaping Joyce Liao^1*

• ¹Ophthalmology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
• ²Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Rochester, United States

Objective: To investigate the risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) in association with optic disc drusen (ODD). Design: Observational, cross-sectional study. Participants: Consecutive ODD and non-ODD patients from the neuro-ophthalmology clinic. Ten patients with concomitant ODD-AMD were sub-analyzed. Methods: The two cohorts were identified from a prospectively recruited dataset between July 2022 and June 2024. Patients received formal diagnoses of ODD and AMD after ophthalmic and imaging assessment. A logistic regression model was utilized in calculating AMD risk to account for demographic differences. Results: A total of 94 ODD (median age: 44 [Q1:20, Q3:69], 64% females) and 100 non-ODD patients (median age: 60 [Q1:44, Q3:69], 48% females) were identified. AMD was observed in 9.6% and 3% of the ODD and non-ODD cohorts, respectively. The risk of AMD was higher in the ODD group (OR = 3.93, 95% CI: 0.89-21.85, p = 0.084). Although the association was not statistically significant, a logistic regression model attributed that to the age difference between the two cohorts. Of the 10 ODD-AMD patients, 70% had a family history of AMD. These patients were all Caucasians, had a median age of 75 years (range: 56-91), and 70% were females. Only 30% were smokers. On optic disc imaging, 70% of eyes demonstrated moderate-to-severe ODD. Conclusion: ODD patients might be at a higher risk of AMD compared to non-ODD patients and AMD screening might be warranted. A family history of AMD is often present, indicating shared genetic risk factors.