ELECTRORETINOGRAPHY IN CIRCULATORY DISTURBANCES OF THE RETINA

Abstract

IN HIS monograph, Karpe¹ describes two cases of so-called embolism of the retinal artery. In one case, in which there was an almost total obstruction of the circulation for seven days, the electrical response was subnormal, whereas an embolus in a small arterial branch during the acute stage of the disease gave rise only to an increased a-wave and a reduced b-wave—by definition, a negative electroretinogram. Once the circulation had been restored, it was observed that the negative electroretinogram had changed to a normal one. It seemed reasonable to assume, therefore, that the future development in a case of so-called embolism of the retinal artery could be predicted from a follow-up of the electroretinogram. In a previous paper,² I have described a similar relation between the development of the disease and the changes in the electrical response in cases of occlusion of the retinal vein. The present article