Comparing the multifocal electroretinogram topography before and after cataract surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) topography would be affected by nuclear cataract.


METHODS
Multifocal electroretinograms were recorded from 10 elderly subjects (10 eyes) with nuclear cataract of grade five (LOCS III) before and after cataract surgery (phacoemulsification). Their visual acuity before the cataract surgery was between 6/12 and 6/18. The postoperative period was from 2 to 3 months. None of the subjects had any significant eye disease apart from cataract. The mfERG responses were grouped into six concentric rings for analysis. Both the amplitudes and the latencies of N1 and P1 of first-order responses were used for analysis.


RESULTS
N1 amplitude only from ring 1 increased significantly after cataract surgery. P1 amplitude from ring 1 and ring 2 also increased significantly after cataract surgery. The latencies of neither N1 nor P1 from all rings changed significantly.


CONCLUSIONS
Nuclear cataract could affect the topography of mfERG, so clinicians should be aware of the effects of cataract when interpreting mfERG responses in cataract patients.
Tam
Wing-Kin
WK
Department of Optometry and Radiography, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong.
Chan
Henry
H
Brown
Brian
B
Leung
Kam-Wah
KW
Woo
Victor
V
Yap
Maurice
M
D000368:Aged; D002386:Cataract / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004596:Electroretinography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019654:Lens Implantation, Intraocular; D007908:Lens, Crystalline / Q000503:physiopathology; D007910:Lenses, Intraocular; D008297:Male; D018918:Phacoemulsification; D012160:Retina / Q000503:physiopathology*