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There has been a sharp rise of reported handheld laser-induced maculopathy (HLIM) cases over the past decade, a concerning trend that may continue due to unregulated online access to high power lasers. Though HLIM has distinct clinical features, not uncommonly it may masquerade as other retinal disorders. It is critical therefore to recognise the clinical and multimodal imaging characteristics of this important and potentially devastating condition. As HLIM patients are typically young, unique issues need to be considered, such as delayed presentation, difficult history, poor compliance and behavioural or psychiatric comorbidity. This article will review the clinical and diagnostic features of laser injury, with a special emphasis on the multimodal retinal findings. In addition, we present a unique case of HLIM, resembling the presentation of a placoid disease variant and illustrating choroidal ischaemia using advanced retinal imaging, that offers further insight into the mechanisms of laser injury and its complications. The issues addressed in this review aim to increase recognition of an increasingly important and trending condition with potentially profound visual complications.

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