Drusen

Drusen are tiny yellow or white accumulations of extracellular material that build up in the eye between Bruch's membrane and the retinal pigment epithelium. The word comes from the German word for a node or geode, and a single deposit is a druse. A few small, so-called hard drusen are a normal part of advancing age, and most people over forty have some. Larger and more numerous drusen in the macula, the central area of the retina, are however a common early sign of age-related macular degeneration, usually shortened to AMD. Drusen are therefore recorded here as a finding that can be harmless or a warning sign depending on size and number. This entry describes what a general reference article states and is not medical advice.