[Intraoperative monitoring: visual evoked potentials in surgery of the sellar region]

During 18 sellar and perisellar operations the optic tract was monitored by visual evoked potentials (VEP). Deteriorations of the cortical responses were recorded in 73%. In this patients there was no close correlation between the intraoperative findings and the postoperative visual function. Only in those patients who showed no remarkable intraoperative changes VEP seemed to be of reliable prognostic value.