Abstract
Purpose:
To review the use of electroretinograms at a tertiary pediatric hospital. To identify the common indications for referral and usefulness in diagnosis.
Methods:
Retrospective chart review of electroretinograms performed at Children’s Hospital of Colorado from 2009 to 2011. One hundred and nineteen patients (male 60, female 59) aged <18 years were included, and 154 electroretinograms were reviewed.
Results:
The average age at the time of first electroretingram was 4.95 years (range 3 months to 18 years). The most common reasons for referral were nystagmus (n = 37), decreased vision (n= 29) and vigabatrin (n=26). Most common electroretinography diagnosis was rod-cone dystrophy. The first electroretinogram for each patient confirmed the clinical suspicion in 63.4% (n=59) of cases, excluding vigabatrin patients. With subsequent genetic testing, specific diagnosis resulted in 15% (n=14) of cases. There were only three normal electroretinogram results based on normative value set by the manufacturer of the instrumentation used.
Conclusions:
Electroretinograms can be a valuable tool in evaluating pediatric eye disease, especially when combined with clinical correlation. However, the lack of normative data for children may affect the accuracy of interpretation.
Keywords: 509 electroretinography: clinical