Preoperative electrophysiological characterization of patients with primary macula-involving rhegmatogenous retinal detachment

• Published in: Journal of ophthalmic & vision research Vol. 13; no. 3; pp. 241 - 248
• Main Authors: Lin, Jonathan, Sein, Julia, Van Stavern, Gregory, Apte, Rajendra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: India Wolters Kluwer India Pvt. Ltd 01-07-2018; Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt. Ltd; Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd; Knowledge E
• Subjects: Clinical Electrophysiology; Electroretinography; Retinal Detachment; Diabetes; Diabetic retinopathy; Electrodes; Intervention; Medical research; Original; Patients; Photoreceptors; Retina; Retinal detachment; Studies; Surgery; Electroretinography; Clinical Electrophysiology; Retinal Detachment
• ISSN: 2008-322X; 2008-2010; 2008-322X
• DOI: 10.4103/jovr.jovr_161_17

Purpose: To determine 1) which components of retinal function are impaired after rhegmatogenous retinal detachment, 2) which outer retinal pathways (rod- or cone-driven) are more severely affected, and 3) whether there is concomitant inner retinal dysfunction.
Methods: We conducted a prospective observational study in a large academic institution. We performed preoperative electroretinography on eight patients to assess outer and inner retinal function. In all cases, a comparison between the eye with the detached retina and the control fellow eye was made.
Results: Eyes with a detached retina had significantly lower a-wave and b-wave amplitudes with respect to both rod- and cone-dominated testing parameters (P < 0.05) and reduced 30 Hz flicker responses compared to fellow eyes (P < 0.05); the effect size was similar for all significantly reduced parameters (r~0.6). There were no significant differences between eyes with detached retinas and control fellow eyes with respect to b/a-wave ratios, a-wave latencies, or b-wave latencies.
Conclusion: Patients with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment have preoperative outer retinal dysfunction equally affecting both rod- and cone-driven pathways, and they have minimal inner retinal dysfunction.