Multifocal electroretinograms in early primary open-angle glaucoma

Purpose: To determine the utility of multifocal electroretinograms (mfERGs) in patients with early primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) with unilateral visual field abnormalities. Methods: mfERGs were recorded from 24 eyes of 12 cases of early POAG (stage I for 1 eye and stage II for the other eye on the Kosaki scale). The implicit times and amplitudes of the second-order kernel summed for the whole visual field, for the superior and inferior hemi-fields, and for quadrantic fields of the stage I and stage II eyes were compared. Results: Neither the first- nor the second-order kernels of the mfERGs showed any changes reflecting glaucomatous visual field abnormalities. The implicit times and amplitudes of the second-order kernel summed for the whole visual field, the superior and inferior hemi-visual fields, and quadrantic visual fields of the stage I and stage II eyes were also not significantly different. Conclusions: We conclude that because the second-order kernel of the mfERG does not correlate with the visual field abnormality in early POAG, the second-order kernel of the mfERG that can be recorded at present is highly unlikely to reflect the function of the ganglion cells in the inner retinal layers. (C) 2002 Japanese Ophthalmological Society.