02197nas a2200337   4500000000100000008004100001260001300042653001000055653002100065653003000086653001100116653001100127653002500138653000900163653001600172653002200188653003000210653001800240653002100258653002000279100001100299700001500310700001400325700001200339700001400351245010700365300001100472490000700483520135500490022001401845       2003                            d  c2003 Dec10aAdult10aElectromyography10aEvoked Potentials, Visual10aFemale10aHumans10aLeprosy, lepromatous10aMale10aMiddle Aged10aNeural Conduction10aPredictive Value of Tests10aReaction Time10aReference Values10aVisual Pathways1 aUlvi H1 aYiğiter R1 aYoldaş T1 aErdem I1 aMüngen B00aStudy of visual evoked potentials in the assessment of the central optic pathways in leprosy patients.  a346-500 v243 a<p>We evaluated the possible involvement of central optic pathways (COP) in leprosy patients with visual evoked potentials, an easy, sensitive and reliable noninvasive method for evaluation of COP. In 37 patients with lepromatous leprosy and in 37 age-matched controls, we measured reversal pattern visual evoked potentials (RP-VEP) and nerve conduction parameters. The mean latency value of positive peak P100 in leprosy patients was significantly delayed compared to that of controls (patients, 108.02+/-9.61 ms in left eye and 108.23+/-8.51 ms in right eye; controls, 96.22+/-4.20 ms in left eye and 95.75+/-4.03 ms in right eye; p<0.05). Abnormally delayed P100 latency was recorded in 5 of 37 leprosy patients (13.5%). The mean amplitude of P100 latency in leprosy patients was smaller than that of controls (patients, 8.7+/-5.6 micro V in left eye and 9.5+/-4.8 micro V in right eye; controls, 10.7+/-4.6 micro V in left eye and 10.5+/-5.1 micro V in right eye), but this difference was not significant. No correlation was observed between abnormalities of RP-VEP and sensorimotor nerve conduction parameters. This study suggests that involvement of COP may develop in patients with lepromatous leprosy. RP-VEP measurement, which can be easily and rapidly performed in an EMG laboratory using standard equipment, can show these alterations.</p>  a1590-1874