Association of electroretinography with visual outcomes after ophthalmic artery chemosurgery for retinoblastoma in ICRb D and E eyes

IMPORTANCE: Predictions of visual outcomes are useful in clinical and family decisions regarding treatment for retinoblastoma. Very little has been published on the association of post-treatment visual acuity with pre-treatment electroretinography (ERG), which can be performed on infants too young to reliably quantify visual acuity. OBJECTIVE: To report associations of pre-treatment ERG with post-treatment visual acuity in eyes with advanced retinoblastoma treated with ophthalmic artery chemosurgery (OAC). DESIGN: Retrospective case-control study of eyes treated from 2006 through 2017, with mean follow-up of 51 months (range 2.3–150 months). SETTING: Single large academic center. PARTICIPANTS: Group D and E eyes treated with OAC at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center with recorded visual acuity and ERG (30Hz flicker). MAIN OUTCOME AND MEASURE: Snellen visual acuity (uncorrected) compared to initial 30Hz flicker ERG. RESULTS: This study included 157 Group D and E eyes. Results of the Jonckheere-Terpstra test for trend were statistically significant and indicated that eyes with lower pre-treatment ERG readings tended to have more visual impairment post-treatment. Among eyes with initial ERG 75+ μV, 11 of 32 eyes (34%) had visual acuity 20/40 or better. Among eyes with ERG 0 μV, 44 of 46 (96%) had visual acuity of 20/200 or worse. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Eyes with advanced intraocular retinoblastoma treated with OAC can achieve excellent visual acuity, but poor ERG at initial visit is associated with poor visual acuity after treatment in the majority of eyes. Expectations regarding visual potential may influence decisions about treatment.