Retinal injuries in seven teenage boys from the same handheld laser

Abstract

This paper presents retinal injuries in 10 eyes of seven teenagers who had been playing with a handheld laser. They reported different degrees of visual symptoms in the form of central scotomas. Clinical examination revealed light burns in the maculae and disruption of the retinal layers on OCT. One patient developed secondary choroidal neovascularization (CNV), which was successfully treated with intravitreal ranibizumab. For some of the patients, the injuries led to permanent visual sequela. This devastating case series emphasizes the need for awareness among minors, parents and communities about the danger of playing with handheld lasers.

Keywords

• Laser-induced maculopathy
• Laser-induced retinal injury
• Laser-induced retinopathy
• Choroidal neovascularization