title: Multifocal electroretinograms in age-related macular degeneration before and after photodynamic therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate multifocal electroretinograms (mfERG) and macular retinal thickness before and after photodynamic therapy (PDT) for predominantly classic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) (classic type) and occult with no classic CNV (occult type).
  
  
  METHODS
  Recording of mfERG and measurement of macular retinal thickness were performed before and after PDT in 19 patients (19 eyes) with the classic type and 24 (26 eyes) with the occult type. The evaluation items were the amplitude of the first negative wave (N1), the amplitude from the peak of the negative wave to that of the following positive wave (P1), and the peak latencies of the negative and positive waves.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with mfERG before PDT, that after PDT showed a significant decrease in the P1 latency in the central area (31.1 ± 1.9 ms before and 29.6 ± 1.6 ms after PDT) for the classic type and significant decreases in both the central (32.0 ± 2.0 ms before and 30.5 ± 2.4 ms after PDT) and peripheral (30.2 ± 2.0 ms before and 29.5 ± 2.0 ms after PDT) areas for the occult type. Optical coherence tomography showed significant decreases in macular retinal thickness in both groups (464 and 314 µm before and after PDT, respectively, for the classic type and 516 and 340 µm for the occult type).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  After PDT, retinal function evaluated by mfERG improved for both the classic and occult types, and the recovery of P1 latency may be due to improvement in retinal edema.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Nara Medical University, Kashihara Nara, Japan. cozimasa@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Eiichi
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yukawa
authors.forename: Kimie
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Shimoyama
authors.forename: Katsunori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nochioka
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tsujinaka
authors.forename: Toyoaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuura
mesh_terms: D004396:Coloring Agents; D004596:Electroretinography; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006801:Humans; D007208:Indocyanine Green; D010778:Photochemotherapy; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011166:Porphyrins / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012160:Retina / Q000502:physiology*; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D000077362:Verteporfin; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D057135:Wet Macular Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D004396:Coloring Agents; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D011166:Porphyrins; D000077362:Verteporfin; D007208:Indocyanine Green