Ext.13Email.mafei02@fmmu.edu.cnVEP and ERG combined with multifocal electroretinography in diagnosis of hysteria blindness

    MA Fei, ZHANG Zuoª²Ming, GUO Qun, LI Li, LUO Geª²Da

    Department of Aviation Clinical Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi¬ðan 710033, China

    ¡¾Abstract¡¿ AIM: To investigate the diagnostic value of visual evoked potentials (VEP), flash electroretinogram (Fª²ERG) and multifocal electroretinography (mERG) in hysteria blindness. METHODS: VEP, ERG and mfERG were recorded in twelve female patients with an average age of 22 years, whose eyesights suddenly reduced with clear spiritual factor inducement and who were suspected of hysteria blindness. The implicit times and amplitudes of Pª²VEP P100, Fª²VEP, Fª²ERG a/b waves, and the amplitude of total and central point in mERG were analyzed. Normal values of the same age group that has been established by our laboratory were used as controls. The neurological examination, psychiatric examination, ophthalmologic examination and other auxiliary examinations were also conducted. RESULTS: The visual acuity was from NLP to 0.03. Five patients had vision field changes. The examination results of slit lamp and ophthalmoscope were normal, and neurological examination, psychiatric examination, ophthalmological examination and other auxiliary examinations excluded the possibility of organic diseases. No difference was found in the indexes of visual electrophysiology between the patient group and control group, which indicated that the function of patient's retina and visual transmit was normal. After a suggestive therapy, 10 of them returned to normal eyesight and 2 recovered to the original eyesight level, which confirmed the diagnosis of hysteria blindness. CONCLUSION: VEP, ERG and combined with mERG can provide an important objective basis for the diagnosis of hysteria blindness. ......