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Vigabatrin: longterm follow-up of electrophysiology and visual field examinations

  1. Peter Hardus1,*,
  2. Willem Verduin2,
  3. Tos Berendschot2,
  4. Gina Postma2,
  5. Jan Stilma2,
  6. Cees Van Veelen3

Article first published online: 26 SEP 2003

DOI: 10.1034/j.1600-0420.2003.00085.x

Issue

Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica

Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica

Volume 81, Issue 5, pages 459–465, October 2003

Additional Information

How to Cite

Hardus, P., Verduin, W., Berendschot, T., Postma, G., Stilma, J. and Van Veelen, C. (2003), Vigabatrin: longterm follow-up of electrophysiology and visual field examinations. Acta Ophthalmologica Scandinavica, 81: 459–465. doi: 10.1034/j.1600-0420.2003.00085.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Ophthalmology, Academic Hospital Groningen, the Netherlands

  2. 2

    Department of Ophthalmology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands

  3. 3

    Department of Functional Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands

* P. Hardus Department of Ophthalmology University Hospital Groningen PO Box 30 001 9700 RB Groningen the Netherlands Tel: + 31 50 361 2510 Fax: + 31 50 361 1709 Email: p.l.l.j.hardus@ohk.azg.nl

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 26 SEP 2003
  2. Article first published online: 26 SEP 2003
  3. Received on September 25th, 2002. Accepted on March 11th, 2003.

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Keywords:

  • cumulative dose;
  • electro-oculogram;
  • electroretinogram;
  • vigabatrin;
  • visual field loss

Abstract.

Background: To report the results of repeated electrophysiological and visual field examinations in patients with vigabatrin-associated visual field loss (VGB-VFL) and the relationship between these electrophysiological findings, the cumulative dose of vigabatrin and the extent of visual field loss.

Methods: Twenty-two eyes of 11 patients with VGB-VFL were studied. All patients underwent surgery for therapy-resistant epilepsy. Repeated electro-oculograms (EOGs) and flash electroretinograms (ERGs) were made and the cumulative dose of vigabatrin and the visual field loss were recorded after a period of 37–47 months.

Results: The visual field loss was stable in patients who had stopped vigabatrin at the time of the first examination. There was a slight increase in VFL in patients who continued vigabatrin. During the second EOG and ERG, abnormalities in scotopic and photopic a-wave latencies and in scotopic b-wave amplitude were found in more than 50% of patients. Only b-wave latency became normal, while EOG, a-wave latency, a-wave amplitude and b-wave amplitude stayed abnormal. The amount of VFL and the cumulative dose of vigabatrin were statistically correlated with the b-wave amplitude, mainly photopic, found during the first and second examinations.

Conclusion: After 4 years, EOG, flash ERG and visual field loss had not improved in patients with VGB-VFL. The statistically significant correlation found during the first examination between the amount of VFL and the cumulative dose of vigabatrin with the (mainly photopic) b-wave amplitude remained constant.

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