Alteration of the visual evoked potential by macular holes: comparison with optic neuritis.

Nine patients with maculopathy (macular holes, macular cysts, and lamellar holes) and ten patients with optic neuritis were examined in order to determine changes in the visual evoked potential (VEP) in response to pattern-reversal stimulation. Eyes with lamellar holes had normal P100 latency, but eyes with macular cysts and macular holes had prolonged P100 latency. Eyes with optic neuritis exhibited greater prolongation of the P100 latency than eyes with macular holes. In contrast, eyes with macular holes had a greater reduction in the steady-state VEP amplitude than eyes with optic neuritis. The prolonged latency occurring in maculopathy may be due to a peculiar amplitude summation noted with half-field VEP, rather than to a true conduction delay like that seen in eyes with optic neuritis. The amplitude slope, which is usually positive in normal controls, was negative for 85.7% of eyes with macular holes and 69.2% of eyes with optic neuritis. The negative amplitude slope may represent a subtle defect in retinal ganglion X cells. Eyes with significantly lower values for four or more of the nine central test points on quantitative automated perimetry had negative amplitude slopes and prolonged P100 latency.