Evaluation of Macular Function Using Pattern Electroretinogram in Idiopathic Epiretinal Membrane.
OBJECTIVE
Pattern electroretinogram (PERG) in idiopathic epiretinal membrane (ERM) was investigated to find the correlation of the ganglion cell function with postoperative visual acuity.


METHODS
This was a retrospective consecutive chart review.


METHODS
Medical records of 24 eyes that underwent vitrectomy and membrane peeling for idiopathic ERM were reviewed retrospectively. The amplitude and implicit time of P50 and N95 in preoperative PERG were analyzed to find correlation with visual acuity and foveal thickness. The ratio of the parameters in involved eyes to those in healthy fellow eyes was calculated for analysis.


RESULTS
Visual acuity (logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution) improved from 0.53 at baseline to 0.34 at 6 months (P = 0.003). Foveal thickness decreased significantly from 488.3 μm at baseline to 374.7 μm (P = 0.001). The preoperative N95 amplitude ratio was significantly correlated with visual acuity at 6 months after ERM removal (r = -0.423, P = 0.040), whereas the amplitude of P50 and implicit time of both waves showed no significant correlation with postoperative visual acuity. The implicit time ratio of P50 (r = 0.530, P = 0.008) and N95 (r = 0.436, P = 0.033) showed significant correlation with preoperative foveal thickness on optical coherence tomography.


CONCLUSIONS
N95 amplitude in PERG was a predictor of visual outcomes after ERM surgery. These results suggest the correlation of postoperative visual acuity with the function of the ganglion cell layer, which is the closest cell layer to be affected by ERM.
From the *Department of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine, Pusan National University, Yangsan; †Medical Institute, Pusan National University Hospital, Busan; ‡Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Yangsan Pusan National University Hospital, Yangsan; and §Department of Ophthalmology, Busan Paik Hospital, College of Medicine, Inje University, Busan, South Korea.
Min Kyu
MK
Shin
Sung Il
SI
Kim
Sung Who
SW
Park
Ik Soo
IS
Byon
Hyun Woong
HW
Kim
Ji Eun
JE
Lee
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004596:Electroretinography; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005584:Fovea Centralis / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D012165:Retinal Ganglion Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology*; D014821:Vitrectomy