Differentiating drusen and drusenoid deposits subtypes on multimodal imaging and risk of advanced age-related macular degeneration

Drusen are extracellular material considered a precursor lesion to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), located either on the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) or the sub-RPE; they contain various proteins associated with inflammation and lipids. Previous studies suggest that the lifecycle of drusen varies depending on drusen type and size. In general, conventional drusen grow and aggregate/coalesce in the first stage, and in the second stage, they regress with or without showing RPE atrophy. The risk of advanced AMD also varies depending on the drusen and drusenoid deposit types' along with their size and RPE abnormalities. In eyes with macular neovascularization (MNV), specific drusen/drusenoid deposits are closely associated with the MNV subtype. Recently, pachychoroid-associated drusen (pachydrusen) were proposed and clinical findings regarding this entity have been accumulating, as more attention is focused on drusen as well as pachychoroid diseases. With the advance in imaging modalities, various modalities can show specific characteristics depending on drusen types. To assess the risk of advanced AMD, it is essential for physicians to have accurate clinical knowledge about each druse/drusenoid lesion and correctly evaluate its imaging characteristics using multimodal imaging. This review summarizes the latest clinical knowledge about each druse/drusenoid lesions and documents their imaging characteristics on multimodal imaging, allowing clinicians to better manage patients and stratify the risk of developing advanced AMD. The most representative cases are illustrated, which can be helpful in the differential diagnosis of drusen and drusenoid deposits.

Automated summary

Drusen, as precursor lesions to advanced age-related macular degeneration (AMD), have different lifecycles and risks depending on their types and sizes. Various imaging modalities can show specific characteristics of drusen types, aiding in assessing the risk of advanced AMD.