Electrorretinogram Findings in Patients With Acute Retinal Necrosis

Abstract

Abstract: : Purpose: To study changs in electrorretinogram (ERG) caused by acute retinal necrosis secondary to Herpes infection. Methods: Retrospective study. Twenty patients with acute retinal necrosis were examined in Uveitis Department of São Geraldo Hospital, Minas Gerais Federal University. The exams were done following the ISCEV standard. The ERG was done with a full field (Ganzfeld) stimulation and a white light stimulus. Five basic ERG responses were measured: rod response, maximal combined response, oscillatory potentials, single flash cone response, 30–Hz flicker response. The exams were done in the time of diagnosis and repeated with 15, 30, 60 days after the treatment with acyclovir. The same tests were done with normal patients, that were used as control group. The exams were done in EPIC 2000 version 3.10., LKC technologies. Results: After comparing the acute retinal necrosis group with the control group, concerning the ERG measurements statiscally important (p<0.05): a– seven patients had ERG exam with no response in the first exam and still lake that in the others ERG exams; these patients had advanced inflammation and a late diagnosis; b– fourteen patients had ERG exam with increased implicit time and decreased amplitude in the first exam, that became almost normal in the subsequent exams; these patients had early diagnosis. Conclusions: The ERG alterations are not specific of the disease, but can suggest the severity of the inflammation and the prognostic of the disease.

Keywords: uveitis-clinical/animal model • electrophysiology: clinical • varicella zoster virus