Solar Retinopathy Presenting with Outer Retinal Defects Among Habitants of High Altitude

Abstract

Solar radiation causes acute foveal injury resulting in outer retinal defects. Symptoms often follow an event of unprotected gazing at a solar eclipse or directly viewing the sun. We encountered a series of cases during winter among habitants of high altitudes who complained of visual field scotomas. All of them had a typical history of prolonged sunbathing but denied gazing at the sun directly. Optical coherence tomography showed outer retinal defects involving the ellipsoid zone characteristic of solar retinopathy in all patients. In this case series, we would like to emphasize the role of geographical factors in the causation of solar retinopathy.

Keywords

• altitudinal retinopathy
• outer retinal defects
• photic retinopathy
• solar retinopathy
• uv radiation