Laser pointer maculopathy

Ehud Zamir; Igor Kaiserman; Itay Chowers

doi:10.1016/S0002-9394(99)00017-3

Laser pointer maculopathy

Ehud Zamir, Igor Kaiserman, Itay Chowers

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

44 Scopus citations

Abstract

PURPOSE: To report a case of macular damage from a laser pointer. METHOD: Case report. A 19-year-old woman had an acute reduction of visual acuity in the right eye after deliberately staring into a commercial class 2 laser pointer for approximately 10 seconds. RESULTS: The patient's best- corrected visual acuity was RE: 20/40, and she had two small pericentral scotomata, as well as a hypopigmented ring-shaped lesion in the fovea. Within 8 weeks, her visual acuity improved to 20/20 and visual field returned to normal, but a subjective relative decrease in brightness of objects viewed by the right eye was apparent. Retinal pigment epithelial abnormality persisted. CONCLUSIONS: Commercial laser pointers, commonly used for teaching and entertainment purposes, may cause notable macular damage if abused. Morphologically, this may manifest as foveal retinal pigment epithelial disturbance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	728-729
Number of pages	2
Journal	American Journal of Ophthalmology
Volume	127
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0002-9394(99)00017-3
State	Published - 1 Jan 1999
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Ophthalmology

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title = "Laser pointer maculopathy",

abstract = "PURPOSE: To report a case of macular damage from a laser pointer. METHOD: Case report. A 19-year-old woman had an acute reduction of visual acuity in the right eye after deliberately staring into a commercial class 2 laser pointer for approximately 10 seconds. RESULTS: The patient's best- corrected visual acuity was RE: 20/40, and she had two small pericentral scotomata, as well as a hypopigmented ring-shaped lesion in the fovea. Within 8 weeks, her visual acuity improved to 20/20 and visual field returned to normal, but a subjective relative decrease in brightness of objects viewed by the right eye was apparent. Retinal pigment epithelial abnormality persisted. CONCLUSIONS: Commercial laser pointers, commonly used for teaching and entertainment purposes, may cause notable macular damage if abused. Morphologically, this may manifest as foveal retinal pigment epithelial disturbance.",

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AU - Kaiserman, Igor

AU - Chowers, Itay

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AB - PURPOSE: To report a case of macular damage from a laser pointer. METHOD: Case report. A 19-year-old woman had an acute reduction of visual acuity in the right eye after deliberately staring into a commercial class 2 laser pointer for approximately 10 seconds. RESULTS: The patient's best- corrected visual acuity was RE: 20/40, and she had two small pericentral scotomata, as well as a hypopigmented ring-shaped lesion in the fovea. Within 8 weeks, her visual acuity improved to 20/20 and visual field returned to normal, but a subjective relative decrease in brightness of objects viewed by the right eye was apparent. Retinal pigment epithelial abnormality persisted. CONCLUSIONS: Commercial laser pointers, commonly used for teaching and entertainment purposes, may cause notable macular damage if abused. Morphologically, this may manifest as foveal retinal pigment epithelial disturbance.

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Laser pointer maculopathy

Abstract

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