Visual responses were elicited by global phase reversal stimuli in cells of the cat dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus (dLGN) after small retinal lesions had been centered on each receptive field. After acute lesions of different sizes exclusively lateral inhibition was found. When GABAergic inhibition was blocked by continuous microiontophoretic application of bicuculline lateral excitation emerged in dLGN cells partially deafferented by small and medium size acute retinal lesions, but not in those affected by large lesions. This indicates the presence of excitatory retinal inputs at the periphery of the dLGN cell dendrites which are normally suppressed by strong, long-ranging lateral inhibitory processes. After chronic deafferentation, the remaining excitatory inputs increase in effectiveness and lateral excitation is seen without blockade of inhibition. The maximal lateral spread of excitation (300 micron) in the dLGN is distinctly smaller than the extent of lateral inhibition (1000 micron).