FOVEAL ELECTRORETINOGRAMS AND CHOROIDAL PERFUSION CHARACTERISTICS IN FELLOW EYES OF PATIENTS WITH UNILATERAL NEOVASCULAR AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION

Aims/Background-A prolonged choroidal filling phase on fluorescein ang iography has been reported to be a common finding and associated with visual function abnormalities in patients with age-related macular deg eneration (AMD). This investigation was carried out to determine wheth er this perfusion defect was related to the slowing of foveal cone ele ctroretinogram (ERG) implicit time seen in patients with AMD. Methods- Fluorescein angiograms and foveal cone ERGs were evaluated in the fell ow eyes of 67 patients with unilateral neovascular AMD. Results-Twenty eight (42%) of the eyes had a choroidal perfusion defect. ERG implici t times averaged 1 ms slower (p=0.0167) and were more likely to be del ayed (p=0.0078) in eyes with abnormal choroidal perfusion than in eyes with normal choroidal filling; significant relations were found also after controlling for age. ERG implicit time was also inversely relate d to ETDRS visual acuity and positively related to the extent of macul ar drusen; and the latter showed a borderline significant tendency to be more prevalent in eyes with prolonged choroidal perfusion. However, an association of a delayed ERG implicit time with prolonged choroida l filling remained after controlling for age, acuity, and the extent o f drusen. Conclusion-These findings further establish prolonged choroi dal perfusion as a common finding in AMD and link it to retinal malfun ction.