Visually evoked potentials in 52 children requiring operative repair of craniosynostosis

We evaluated the prevalence of pathological visually evoked potentials (VEP ) before the apppearance of papilledema or other signs of elevated intracra nial pressure in children suffering from craniosynostosis. In 52 children ( 19 girls, 33 boys, median age 7.6 months, mean age 7.6 months, range from 3 to 34 months) preoperative VEP were analyzed, In 13 patients, pathological VEP were observed. In all children, both eyes were involved. Only I child suffered from papillar anomalies. Latency was pathological in 12 children, whereas the amplitude was suppressed in only 2 children. In all children wi th preoperative pathological VEP, postoperative controls (n = 4) were impro ved or normal. Thus, VEP may be the first test for neuronal damage in crani osynostosis.