Objective To investigate the degree of retinal development in preterm infants. Methods Flash electroretinography (ERG) was performed on 25 healthy preterm infants and 25 full-term ones, and the response of rod cells and cone cells and maximal mixed responses were recorded. The delitescence and amplitudes of a- and b-waves and the ratio of amplitudes of b-/a-wave of maximal responses were analyzed. Results Compared with the full-term infants, The delitescence of responses of rod cells in preterm infants was statistically longer (.t=11.007,P.=0.000) but without any significant changes of amplitudes (.t=1.836,P.=0.069); statistically longer delitescence (.t=2.44, P=0.010; (t=10.800,)P.=0.000) and lower amplitude (.t=5.804,P=0.000; t=5.809,P.=0.000) of a- and b-wave of maximal response were found in preterm infants group. In the response of cone cells, there were significant differences of the delitescence (.t=4.444,P.=0.000) and amplitude (.t=3.819,P.=0.000)of a-wave and delitescence of b-wave(.t=2.850,P.=0.005) between the two groups, and no statistical difference of amplitude of b-wave (.t=0.486,P.=0.628) between the two groups. The ratio of amplitudes of b-/a-wave of the maximal mixed response was not significantly different between the two groups ((.t=1.142,)P.=0.256). Conclusions The development of retinal function is slower in preterm infants than that in full-term ones.

Background Behcet's disease is a refractory panuveitis with high blindness rate.Multifocal electroretinography (mfERG) is a useful tool for the evaluation of the function of the posterior retina.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to assess the characteristics of Behcet's disease using the mfERG.Methods mfERG was recorded in 68 eyes of 39 cases with active stage of Behcet's disease.All of the patients were diagnosed based on the Standard of International Study Group for Behcet's Disease and assigned to the cystoid macular edema (CME) group and the diffuse macular edema (DME) group after assessment by fundus fluorescein angiography (FFA).Seventeen normal subjects were used as controls.Oral informed consent was obtained from all of the subjects prior to this trial.mfERG recording followed the ISCEV Guidelines for Clinical Multifocal Electroretinography (2007 edition).The response density and latency of P1 and N1 waves in 6 rings were analyzed and compared.Results The amplitudes of N_1 waves from rings 1 through 6 and N1 wave from rings 1 through 5 were significantly declined in patients with Behcet's disease compared with normal control (P＜0.01).All of the latencies of P_1 waves from rings 1 through 6 were insignificantly shortened in patients with Behcet's disease compared with normal control (P＞0.05).The amplitudes of P_1 and N_1 waves from rings 1 through 6 in diffuse macular edema group were considerably lower than those in the cystoid macular edema group (P＜0.05,P＜0.01).A test of visual acuity showed a negative correlation to the amplitude and latency of N_1 wave (r=-0.36,-0.37,P＜0.05 ) and a positive correlation with the amplitude of N1 wave (r=0.43,P＜0.05) in the DME group.In the CME group,a test of visual acuity presented a negative correlation to the amplitude and latency of N1 wave and latency of P1 (r=-0.41,-0.35,-0.40,P＜0.05 ) and a positive correlation with the amplitude of P1 wave (r=0.48,P＜0.05).Conclusion mfEGR demonstrates that retinal electro-activity is abnormal in eyes with Behcet's disease.The distinct functional disorder is situated around the fovea.