The central retinal artery and vein can be seen in the middle of the disc as it exits the scleral canal with the optic nerve to supply the retina.

Rarely, choroidal neovascularization may develop as the juxtapapillary nerve fibers are disrupted, with subsequent subretinal hemorrhage and retinal scarring.

It is important to differentiate them from other conditions that present with optic disc elevation, especially papilledema, which could imply raised intracranial pressure or tumors.

Spontaneous venous pulsations are present in about 80 percent of patients with ODD, but absent in cases of true disc edema.

[11] Patients with optic disc drusen should be monitored periodically via ophthalmoscopy, Snellen acuity, contrast sensitivity, color vision, intraocular pressure and threshold visual fields.

[6] For those with visual field defects optical coherence tomography has been recommended for follow-up of nerve fiber layer thickness.

Both the severity of optic disc drusen and the degree of intraocular pressure elevation have been associated with visual field loss.

[13][14] There is no widely accepted treatment for ODD, although some clinicians will prescribe eye drops designed to decrease the intra-ocular pressure and theoretically relieve mechanical stress on fibers of the optic disc.

Rarely choroidal neovascular membranes may develop adjacent to the optic disc threatening bleeding and retinal scarring.