Drusen are the yellow deposits that form beneath the retina’s pigment epithelial layer. Sometimes drusen mineralize over time, as calcium, cholesterol, or other materials, lodge themselves within and around the deposits. Drusen are not normally treated or removed. However, they do sometimes unexplainably resolve themselves.

The presence of a few small (“hard”) drusen is normal with advancing age, and most people over 40 have some hard drusen. However, the presence of larger and more numerous drusen in the macula is a common early sign of age-related macular degeneration (AMD).