Multifocal electroretinograms in early primary open-angle glaucoma.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the utility of multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs) in patients with early primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with unilateral visual field abnormalities.


METHODS
mfERGs were recorded from 24 eyes of 12 cases of early POAG (stage I for 1 eye and stage II for the other eye on the Kosaki scale). The implicit times and amplitudes of the second-order kernel summed for the whole visual field, for the superior and inferior hemi-fields, and for quadrantic fields of the stage I and stage II eyes were compared.


RESULTS
Neither the first- nor the second-order kernels of the mfERGs showed any changes reflecting glaucomatous visual field abnormalities. The implicit times and amplitudes of the second-order kernel summed for the whole visual field, the superior and inferior hemi-visual fields, and quadrantic visual fields of the stage I and stage II eyes were also not significantly different.


CONCLUSIONS
We conclude that because the second-order kernel of the mfERG does not correlate with the visual field abnormality in early POAG, the second-order kernel of the mfERG that can be recorded at present is highly unlikely to reflect the function of the ganglion cells in the inner retinal layers.
Sakemi
Fumito
F
Department of Ophthalmology, National Defense Medical College, Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Yoshii
Masaru
M
Okisaka
Shigekuni
S
D000328:Adult; D004596:Electroretinography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005902:Glaucoma, Open-Angle / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D058609:Visual Field Tests; D014794:Visual Fields