Visual evoked potential (VEP) delays in central serous choroidopathy

The authors examined a series of ten consecutive patients with unilateral, idiopathic central serous choroidopathy. Visual acuities ranged from 20/20 to 20/70 during the active stage. VEPs were recorded to square sizes of 14, 28, and 56 min of arc. Overall, 90% of the patients had statistically significant VEP delays from the affected eye, while only 30% had statistically significant reductions in amplitude during the active stage. Six of the ten patients were reevaluated after the condition fully resolved. In all six, the VEP latency returned to normal. Although the mechanism of these VEP delays is not clear, their presence has been well documented. Therefore, a VEP delay in isolation of other tests should not be used in the differential diagnosis of macular vs optic nerve disease. One should specifically rule out macular disease in any patient with a delayed VEP before presuming the presence of a visual pathway dysfunction.