Predicting outcome in central retinal vein occlusion using the flicker electroretinogram
M. L. Severns and M. A. Johnson
Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of the 30-Hz flicker
electroretinogram (ERG) in predicting outcome in patients with central
retinal vein occlusion using an automated system previously developed to
measure parameters of the flicker ERG and using information about the a
priori probability of developing neovascularization of the iris in central
retinal vein occlusion. METHODS: Amplitude and timing were extracted from
30-Hz flicker ERGs of 76 patients with acute central retinal vein occlusion
from a previous study. The ability of the ERG to predict the development of
neovascularization of the iris based on derived parameters was measured
using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS:
The predictive ability of the 30-Hz ERG amplitude, as judged by a
two-alternative forced-choice procedure, was 92%. The corresponding value
for implicit time was 89%. Using Bayes' theorem, we computed the
probability of developing neovascularization of the iris based on a single
30-Hz flicker ERG measurement at initial patient presentation. CONCLUSIONS:
The 30-Hz flicker ERG provides useful information about the patients with
central retinal vein occlusion.
