Evaluation of the visual system in multiple sclerosis: a comparative study of diagnostic tests

• Published in: Clinical neurology and neurosurgery Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 191 - 195
• Main Authors: van Diemen, H.A.M., Lanting, P., Koetsier, J.C., Strijers, R.L.M., van Walbeek, H.K., Polman, C.H.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 1992; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Afterimage - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Color Perception - physiology; Color Vision Defects - diagnosis; Color Vision Defects - physiopathology; Colour vision test; Contrast sensitivity; Contrast Sensitivity - physiology; Evoked Potentials, Visual - physiology; Female; Flight of colours test; Functional Laterality - physiology; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Multiple sclerosis; Multiple Sclerosis - diagnosis; Multiple Sclerosis - physiopathology; Multiple sclerosis and variants. Guillain barré syndrome and other inflammatory polyneuropathies. Leukoencephalitis; Neurology; Optic Nerve - physiopathology; Optic Neuritis - diagnosis; Optic Neuritis - physiopathology; Pupillary light reflex; Reaction Time - physiology; Reference Values; Reflex, Pupillary - physiology; Vision Disorders - diagnosis; Vision Disorders - physiopathology; Vision Tests - methods; Visual Acuity - physiology; Visual evoked potential; Visual system; Visual system; Multiple sclerosis; Contrast sensitivity; Colour vision test; Visual evoked potential; Pupillary light reflex; Flight of colours test; Human; Electrodiagnosis; Nervous system diseases; Exploration; Comparative study; Inflammatory disease
• ISSN: 0303-8467; 1872-6968
• DOI: 10.1016/0303-8467(92)90088-K

In 22 patients with clinically definite multiple sclerosis (MS) who were without visual symptoms and had a visual acuity of at least 1.0 in both eyes at the time of measurement, the following tests were performed to detect subclinical lesions in the visual system: visual evoked potential (VHP), contrast sensitivity test (CS), flight of colours test (FOC), colour vision test (Ishihara plates) (CV) and the pupillary light reflex (PLR). VEP was abnormal in 81.8%, CS in 72.7%, FOC in 36.4%, CV in 31.8%, and PLR in 52.3% of the patients. VEP and CS together were most sensitive: combining these techniques subclinical lesions of the visual system were detected in 90.9% ( 20 22 ) of these asymptomatic patients.