Solar maculopathy arising from nondeliberate sun gaze

Abstract

Solar maculopathy occurs as a result of the effects of exposure of the macula to the harmful light spectrum from the sun. Phototoxic damage of the macula occurs as a result of the exposure to sunlight with some resultant visual deficit. The effect is common during a solar eclipse, where people directly watch the occurrence without sun-filter glasses. Solar maculopathy is also known to occur during religious rituals, and in schizophrenic patients who stare at the sun. Clinical history, subtle clinical biomicroscopic, and optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings are the key in making a diagnosis. Management is conservative with OCT follow-up. Solar maculopathy from nondeliberate sun gazing is not common. We report the case of a 24-year-old African who developed solar maculopathy after nondeliberate exposure to sunlight.

Keywords

• maculopathy
• nondeliberate
• solar