Visual evoked responses and ophthalmological examination in optic neuritis. A follow-up study.

Ophthalmological examination and visual evoked responses (VERs) were repeated at 6-120 (mean 46) months after the first attack of acute optic neuritis in 80 patients who had abnormal VERs in 98 symptomatic eyes at the initial examination. The wide field VER returned to within the normal range in 19/98 (19%) symptomatic eyes. Fifteen percent of patients had completely normal VERs at follow-up. The yield of VER abnormalities was increased by the use of central field in addition to wide field stimulation. One or more components of the ophthalmological examination were abnormal in 91% of symptomatic eyes at final review. Although the ophthalmological examination was a more sensitive index than the VER of past optic neuritis in symptomatic eyes, the reverse was the case in asymptomatic eyes.