Laser Pointer Retinopathy: A Case Report and Review

Abstract

Purpose: Laser pointer retinopathy is a condition increasing in prevalence due to poor education of proper laser use at the childhood/teenage level and poor awareness of risks and complications of laser pointers among the adult population. Eye care physicians can serve as an important bridge among these populations to help increase awareness and promote and educate patients on the potentially damaging retinal effects associated with laser pointer viewing/exposure. Pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, multimodal imaging interpretation, and treatment management options of laser pointer retinopathy are reviewed through a case study. Background: A 19-year-old male presented to the eye clinic without any ocular or visual complaints for a routine eye examination. Fundus examination revealed yellow subfoveal scarring in the left eye and corresponding damage to the foveal ellipsoid zone on optical coherence tomography imaging. Amsler grid findings further confirmed metamorphopsia that was present only in the left eye. Further questioning determined the foveal damage to be laser pointer retinopathy secondary to extended laser pointer viewing. Conclusions: Laser pointer retinopathy is an increasingly prevalent retinal finding in younger populations. In most cases vision loss slowly improves with time, but the retinal damage has often been reported to be irreversible. Considering this information, it is imperative for optometrists to educate school staff, parents and children of the permanent ocular damage that can occur with laser pointer viewing and promote safe practices. CE Notification: This article is available as a COPE accredited CE course. You may take this course for 1-hour credit. Read the article and take the qualifying test to earn your credit. Click here to Enroll (https://www.crojournal.com/laser-pointer-retinopathy-a-case-report-and-review)

Analysis of Intensity Limits for Light Emitting Diodes Used in Toys and Consequences for Children's Visual Health

“…With older children, the aversion response can be intentionally ignored for playing purposes as described in recent case reports of macular injuries in children exposed to a hand-held high intensity LED device [11] or to a laser pointer [12] during games. Besides, LEDs emitting pure blue light are not perceived as being very bright due to the lower sensitivity of vision in this spectral range, even when radiant intensity is high [13].…”

Analysis of Intensity Limits for Light Emitting Diodes Used in Toys and Consequences for Children's Visual Health

“…With older children, the aversion response can be intentionally ignored for playing purposes as described in recent case reports of macular injuries in children exposed to a hand-held high intensity LED device [11] or to a laser pointer [12] during games. Besides, LEDs emitting pure blue light are not perceived as being very bright due to the lower sensitivity of vision in this spectral range, even when radiant intensity is high.…”

Structural changes in laser-induced retinopathy examined by adaptive optics optical coherence tomography

“… 1 However, accumulating evidence suggests that even low-power lasers, akin to light from laser pointers, can cause retinal damage. 3 , 4 The clinical spectrum of this condition includes subtle disturbances in the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) at the onset of macular edema and damage to the outer retinal layers, complicating its diagnosis. 1 , 2 …”