Assessment Of Visual Functions In Behcet’s Disease With Electroretinogram

Objective: To explore the assessent of visual functions in Beh et’sdisease (BD) with electroretinogram (ERG).Methods: Between October1,2010and March30,2012, a cohort of173(346eyes) consecutive patients diagnosed with Beh et’s disease in ourhospital were enrolled in this study. All patients underwent ERG tests,along with routine ophthalmic examinations and systemic examinations.The patients were divided on the basis of epidemiological data (gender, ageof onset, disease duration), ocular clinical signs (best corrected visualacuity and fundus) and systemic signs (genital ulceration, multiform skinlesions, and arthritis). Statistical analysis was performed on the correlationsbetween ERG parameters and BCVA, as well as the amplitude of b-waveand ocular clinical signs and systemic signs.Results:1. Correlations between ERG parameters and BCVA: ScotopiaERG: The b-wave of rod response decreased in amplitude as BCVAdecreased (y=85.60x+40.23, r~2=0.44, p<0.0001). However, there was nosignificant correlation between implicit time and BCVA (y=-3.70x+74.088,r~2=0.01, p>0.05). The amplitude of a-and b-wave of rod-cone response correlated positively with BCVA (y=84.23x+36.22, r~2=0.46, p<0.0001;y=190.25x+68.49, r~2=0.48, p<0.0001). But there was no significantcorrelation between implicit time and BCVA (y=0.40x+23.023, r~2=0.0019,p>0.05, y=0.52x+44.043, r~2=0.00086，p>0.05). Photopic ERG: Both a-andb-wave of cone response decreased in amplitude as BCVA decreased(y=12.78x+14.06, r~2=0.26, p<0.0001; y=55.1x+28.1, r~2=0.39, p<0.0001).The implicit time prolonged as BCVA decreased (y=-3.18x+20.02, r~2=0.14,p<0.0001; y=-6.67x+40.03, r~2=0.21, p<0.0001). There was a positivecorrelation between OP and BCVA (BCVA<0.3, y=93.6x+28, r~2=0.076,p<0.0001; BCVA≥0.3, y=108.07x+15.13, r~2=0.25, p<0.0001).2.Correlations between b-wave amplitude and other data: The amplitude ofb-wave in female patients was lager than the male patients (p<0.05). Therewas no statistically difference of the patients were divided according to theage of onset (p=0.733). The amplitude of b-wave decreased as the diseaseduration increased (y=-5.8x+150.8, r~2=0.44, p<0.0001).The amplitude ofb-wave in patients with retinal atrophy decreased comparing with patientswithout retinal atrophy (p<0.0001). However, there was no statisticallysignificant difference between patients with and without medical history ofsystemic clinical signs.Conclusion: ERG can reflect the visual functions of BD patients. Theinlayer of retina of BD is destroyed more seriously than the outer, andthe rod cells are destroyed more seriously than the cone cells. The damage of retina of female patients is more mild than male’s. The damage of retinaof patients aggravates as the disease duration increases. The retina ofpatients with retinal atrophy is damaged more seriously comparing with theones without retinal atrophy.