Visual Evoked Potentials in Retrochiasmal Lesion; Correlation with Neuroimaging Study

시각유발전위 검사상 후-시신경교차부위병변을 보인 환자들의 뇌 영상 결과와의 연관성

Background and Objective : Visual evoked potentials(VEPs) is considered to be a reliable diagnostic procedure for examining patients with anterior visual pathways. Some abnormalities in the recordings on monocular stimulation have been said to indicate retrochiasmal lesion, but less consistent results have been reported. This study is to evaluate the positive predictability of VEP for the detection of retrochiasmal lesion. Methods : We reviewed VEPs that could be interpreted as indicative of a retrochiasmal lesions, based on amplitude or latency asymmetry recorded on the left(O1) and right(O2) occipital regions. Bilateral absent VEPs on both recording(O1 and O2) without evidence of prechiasmal lesion were included. During 5 years, we identified 31 patients who met the above criteria and who had undergone magnetic resonance imaging(MRI) of brain(one patient underwent computerized tomography). Twenty three patients underwent pattern reversal VEPs and others underwent flash goggle VEPs. Results : Brain imagings were abnormal in 29 and were normal in 2. Of the 29 abnormal scans, lesions in posterior visual pathway were detected in 21 scans(predictive value=68%). The predictive value was not significantly different between flash goggle VEP(75%) and pattern reversal VEP(68%). The predictive value was higher in patient with visual field defect(100%) than those without visual field defect(25%). The pathologic nature of lesion also showed close relations to the predictive value. VEPs is usually paradoxically lateralized(78%), but not in all patients. Conclusion : VEPs abnormalities suggesting retrochiasmal lesion were usually corresponded with brain MRI findings. Diagnostic reliability could be increased when considering the visual field defect and nature of lesion. Therefore, the authors suggest that VEPs studies could be useful in evaluating the patients with the retrochismal lesion.