Drusen Diagnosis

Drusen are detected during a dilated eye exam. To check your eyes, your ophthalmologist will dilate (widen) your pupils using dilating eyedrops and examine your eyes with an ophthalmoscope, a device that allows him or her to see the retina and other areas at the back of the eye. This examination will allow him or her to see if drusen are present.

If your ophthalmologist detects soft drusen, he or she may have you use an Amsler grid to check for macular degeneration symptoms such as wavy, blurry or dark areas in your vision. If your ophthalmologist thinks you have optic nerve drusen, he or she may order additional imaging tests to confirm the diagnosis.