rss
Br J Ophthalmol 1990;74:136-140 doi:10.1136/bjo.74.3.136
  • Research Article

Albinism in childhood: a flash VEP and ERG study.

  1. I Russell-Eggitt,
  2. A Kriss and
  3. D S Taylor
  1. Institute of Child Health, London.

      Abstract

      Flash visual evoked potentials (F. VEPs) and electroretinograms (ERGs) were recorded in a total of 20 young children with albinism (age range 5 months to 11 years, mean 4 years). All recordings were made without sedation. There were 13 oculocutaneous cases (one with Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome) and seven ocular albinos. Monocular flash stimulation commonly elicited an asymmetrical occipital VEP distribution with a well lateralised component at around 80 ms which was of opposite polarity in a comparison of VEPs from each eye. None of the normally pigmented matched controls or obligate female carriers showed this anomalous distribution. The albino electroretinogram, compared with controls, recorded under fully darkened conditions had a significantly larger a wave and significantly shorter latencies for both a and b waves. The accentuated ERG and asymmetrical VEP recorded in infants and young children with albinism permits distinction of these patients from those with congenital cone dysfunction and idiopathic nystagmus, with whom they may be confused by a clinical examination only.

      This Article

      1. Abstract
      2. PDF

      Responses

      1. Submit a response
      2. No responses published

      Social bookmarking

      Register for free content


      Free sample
       This recent issue is free to all users to allow everyone the opportunity to see the full scope and typical content of BJO.
      View free sample issue >>

      Free archive
      The full back archive is now available for BJO. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006, back to volume 1 issue 1.
      Register to access the free archive >>

      Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.