Elsevier

Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology

Volume 42, Issue 4, July–August 1998, Pages 314-317
Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology

Cone Electroretinograms in Response to Color Stimuli After Successful Retinal Detachment Surgery

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0021-5155(98)00014-8Get rights and content

Abstract

Cone electroretinograms (ERGs) in response to different color flashes were examined using a Ganzfeld stimulus in 19 eyes after successful retinal detachment surgery. In the operated eyes, the short wavelength sensitive (S-) cone b-wave was reduced more than the mixed long (L-) and middle (M-) wavelength sensitive cone b-waves. The ratio of the S-cone ERG b-wave amplitude between operated eyes and fellow eyes was significantly lower than the L- and M-cone ERG b-waves (P < .01). These ERG results indicated that the S-cone system is more impaired than the L- and M-cone systems after retinal detachment surgery.

Introduction

Rhegmatogenous retinal detachment can be treated successfully by scleral buckling surgery, and the rates of retinal reattachment are satisfactory. However, a discrepancy exists between anatomical repair and visual function.1 After successful retinal detachment surgery, patients are known to have a blue-yellow color vision defect.2, 3, 4 A residual defect in hue discrimination was observed 2 years after surgery in patients whose visual acuity had returned to normal levels.2 Recovery from the blue-yellow defect, as evaluated with the pseudoisochromatic test, which is sensitive for evaluating acquired color vision deficiency, was similar to that of visual acuity. The deficiency improved within 2 months to the preoperative level, with a residual defect.4 Recently, a histopathological study, using carbonic anhydrase and an antibody to an isoform of arrestin (S antigen), revealed total loss of the short wavelength sensitive (S-) cones, whereas the long (L-) and middle wavelength sensitive (M-) cones were comparatively resistant to damage.5 In this report we describe cone electroretinograms (ERGs) in response to different color flashes with a Ganzfeld stimulus in patients who had undergone successful retinal detachment surgery.

Section snippets

Subjects and Methods

Nineteen patients with unilateral rhegmatogenous retinal detachment who had successful outcomes after a single surgical procedure without epimacular proliferation and/or cystoid macular edema were studied. Their ages ranged from 18 to 64 years (M = 40.5). Patients with a history of ocular trauma or other retinal diseases were excluded from this study. All patients had undergone conventional surgical techniques of scleral buckling with cryoretinopexy and drainage of subretinal fluid. The macula

Results

Figure 1 illustrates cone ERGs in response to different chromatic stimuli in the presence of white background illumination from an operated eye and a normal fellow eye in a 38-year-old patient who underwent surgery for retinal detachment involving the macula, 2 months before the ERG study. The postoperative visual acuity was 20/40 in the operated eye. In normal eyes, the S-cone ERG elicited by short wavelength (450 and 471 nm) stimuli appears as a separate b-wave riding on an earlier mixed L-

Discussion

Several electrophysiological studies have demonstrated a gradual recovery of ERG responses after retinal detachment surgery,9, 10 with no difference reported in ERG recovery in the three-cone mechanisms. To our knowledge, our preliminary study demonstrated for the first time the relative vulnerability of the S-cone ERG in eyes after retinal detachment surgery. Although the amplitudes of b-waves originating from the three types of cones were reduced in operated eyes, as compared with normal

References (17)

  • M.F. Gundry et al.

    Recovery of visual acuity after retinal detachment surgery

    Am J Ophthalmol

    (1974)
  • S. Yamamoto et al.

    Cone electroretinogram to chromatic stimuli in myopic eyes

    Vis Res

    (1997)
  • W.S. Foulds et al.

    Factors influencing visual recovery after retinal detachment surgery

    Mod Probl Ophthalmol

    (1974)
  • I.A. Chisholm et al.

    Functional recovery of the retina after retinal detachment

    Trans Ophthalmol Soc UK

    (1975)
  • M. Ueda et al.

    Assessment of central visual function after successful retinal detachment surgery by pattern visual evoked cortical potentials

    Br J Ophthalmol

    (1992)
  • T.M. Nork et al.

    Selective loss of blue cones and rods in human retinal detachment

    Arch Ophthalmol

    (1995)
  • P. Gouras et al.

    The human S-cone electroretinogram and its variation among subjects with and without L- and M-cone function

    Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci

    (1993)
  • S. Yamamoto et al.

    Selective reduction of the S cone electroretinogram in diabetes

    Br J Ophthalmol

    (1996)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.
View full text