Abstract
Electrophysiological investigations were performed in patients with inflammatory eye disease characterized by the presence of vitreous cells. The eyes were classified into four categories on the basis of fluorescein angiography: 1) no fluorescein leakage from retinal vessels, 2) fluorescein leakage from peripheral retinal vessels, 3) fluorescein leakage from the disc or macular vessels, and 4) fluorescein leakage from retinal vessels associated with pigment epithelial and choroidal changes. The electro-oculogram light rise was abnormally increased in the eyes in category 1, but it progressively declined for those in the other categories. The ratio of the b-wave (postreceptoral component) and a-wave (receptoral component) of the flash electroretinogram was unchanged in all categories, but the electroretinographic amplitudes progressively declined from a somewhat supernormal level in category 1 to subnormal in the other categories. Thus, in inflammatory eye disease, changes in the electrical potentials arising in the pigment epithelium and photoreceptors are the earliest detectable signs. Some biochemical changes in the choroid, pigment epithelium, and the photoreceptors appear to take place before any pathological changes in these structures or in the retinal vessels are detectable by ophthalmoscopy or fluorescein angiography.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sanders MD. Retinal arteries, retinal vasculitis and autoimmune retinal vasculitis. Eye 1987; 1: 441–65.
Karpe G. The electroretinogram under pathological conditions. Acta Ophthalmol 1945; 24 (suppl.): 69–90.
Francois J. L'electroretinographie dans les uveitis. Ophthalmologica 1953; 125: 137–43.
Algvere P. Electroretinographic studies on posterior uveitis. Acta Ophthalmol 1967; 45: 299–313.
Velissaropoulos P, Tsamparlakis J, Palimexis G. A comparative study of electrooculogramand electroretinogram in some ocular diseases. Bull Soc Hellen d'Ophthalmol 1988; 36: 58–76.
Hatt M, Neimeyer G. the ERG in Behcet's disease. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 1976; 198: 112–20.
Maumenee AE. Introductin to ocular inflammatory disease. In: Ryan SJ, Smith RE, eds. Selected topics on the eye in systemic disease. New York: Grune & Stratton 1974; 121–2.
Graham EM. Vasculitis. In: Rose CF, ed. The eye in general medicine. London: Chapman & Hall 1983; 380–95.
Ikeda H. Electrophysiology of the retina and visual pathway. In: Rose CF, ed. Medical ophthalmology. London: Chapman & Hall 1976; 38–55.
Ikeda H. Retinal mecahanisms and the clinical electroretinogram. In: Halliday AM, Butler JR, Paul R, eds. A textbook of clinical neurophysiology. New York: John Wiley & Sons 1987; 569–94.
Arden GB, Barrada A, Kelsey JH. New clinical test of retinal function based upon the standing potential of the eye. Br J Ophthalmol 1962; 46: 449–67.
Steinberg RH. Interactions between the retinal pigment epithelium and the neural retina. Doc Ophthalmol 1985; 60: 327–46.
Siesjo BK. Mechanisms of ischemic brain damage. Crit Care Med 1988; 16: 954–63.
Welsh RB, Maumenee AE, Whelan HE. Peripheral posterior segment inflammation, vitreous opacities and oedema of the posterior pole. Arch Ophthalmol 1960; 64: 540–9.
Stanford MR, Robbins J. Experimental posterior uveitis: II. Electroretinographic studies. Br J Ophthahnol 1988; 72: 88–96.
Dumonde DC, Kasp-Grochowska E, Graham EM, Sanders MD, Faure J-P, de Kozak Y, van Tuyen V. Anti-retinal autoimmunity and circulating immune complexes in patients with retinal vasculitis. Lancet 1982; 2: 787–92.
de Kozak Y, Sainte-Laudy J, Benveniste J, Faure J-P. Evidence for immediate hypersen-sitivity phenomena in experimental autoimmune uveoretinitis. Eur J Immunol 1981; 11: 612–7.
Dernouchamps JP. The proteins of the aqueous humor. Doc Ophthalmol 1982; 53: 193–248.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ikeda, H., Franchi, A., Turner, G. et al. Electroretinography and electro-oculography to localize abnormalities in early-stage inflammatory eye disease. Doc Ophthalmol 73, 387–394 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00154494
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00154494