Abstract
Purpose: :
To evaluate the clinical efficacy of a routine visual electrophysiology diagnostic service.
Methods: :
A retrospective case analysis was carried out on 100 unselected, consecutive patients divided into the following age groups (0 to 7 years, 8 to 16 years and greater than 16 years who were referred for routine diagnostic visual electrophysiology. Tests available included pattern and flash VEP, pattern and flash ERG, EOG and mfERG. Not all tests are performed on all patients, and some testing is age-dependant. The assessment examined the pre- and post-referral diagnoses.
Results: :
There were 27, 32 and 41 patients in the respective age groups.Electrodiagnostic testing (EDT) was found to be of value in 94% of the patients examined and was considered an essential investigation in 81%. EDT made a new diagnosis in 10% of patients, changed it in 5%, and confirmed or excluded a diagnosis in 65%. EDT made a useful contribution to the overall investigation of 89% of the patients and was considered the only test that could provide the required information in 71%.
Conclusions: :
The clinical value of electrophysiological testing is demonstrated. In many instances the accurate diagnosis could only be reached with the assistance of electrophysiology.
Keywords: electrophysiology: clinical • clinical (human) or epidemiologic studies: health care delivery/economics/manpower • electroretinography: clinical