Bilateral parainfectious papillitis superimposed on papillary pseudoedema by optic nerve drusen

Papillary drusen are deposits of calcified hyaline material at the level of the optic nerve head. They are considered the most frequent cause of pseudopapilledema, so in clinical practice it is essential to identify and differentiate them from true optic disc oedema.

Parainfectious optic neuritis is an inflammatory optic neuropathy, usually bilateral and acute, which occurs between 1 and 3 weeks after an infectious disease. It usually occurs as a papillitis, since it is usually located in the head of the optic nerve causing optic disc oedema.

In this article we present an unusual case of bilateral papillitis superimposed on papillary drusen in a young male with Chlamydia trachomatis prostatitis. After an exhaustive etiological study, it was concluded that, in this patient, papillitis was associated with his sexually transmitted disease.