Macular hemorrhage after laser exposure and cannabinoid intake during a disco party

Abstract

Purpose To describe two cases of macular hemorrhage in young patients, both occurred after laser exposure and cannabinoid intake during a disco party. Observations Case 1: a 21-year-old man was evaluated at our Emergency Unit for sudden vision loss in the right eye (RE). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) was count fingers in the RE and 20/20 in the left eye (LE). Fundus examination revealed a broad pre-retinal hemorrhage in macular region of RE, confirmed by optical coherence tomography. The patient reported vision loss, suddenly occurred after fixation of a laser source and cannabinoid intake during a disco party the night before. We administered a macular supplement and closely followed up the patient. After two months BCVA of the right eye was 20/20. Case 2 The following day another 21-year-old man was referred to our Emergency Unit complaining of sudden vision loss in LE. As in Case 1, he reported to have fixed a laser beam as well as the consumption of cannabinoids at the same disco. BCVA was count fingers in the LE and 20/20 in the RE. Fundus examination showed a broad pre-retinal hemorrhage in macular region of LE. He had taken the macular supplement for two months and then the hemorrhage was reabsorbed. Conclusion and importance Laser exposure must be considered as a possible cause of macular hemorrhage. Furthermore, low cost of drugs and lack of formal control of laser sources may increase the emergence of new cases of retinal injuries especially among young people.

An outbreak of subhyaloid hemorrhage after accidental laser exposure during an Indian festival

“…[ 17 ] reported retinal hemorrhages and retinochoroidal coagulation spots in two patients who attended the same dance festival with an audience-scanning laser show. Similarly, Fossataro et al [ 20 ] reported two young cases of macular hemorrhage, both of which occurred after laser exposure and cannabinoid intake during the same disco party. Aras et al .…”

“…Though eye injuries are uncommon during public gatherings, a few such instances have been reported in the past; yet most of these have been limited to a single case or a handful of cases. [ 16 17 18 19 20 ] Here, we report the clinical presentation and outcomes from a series of 34 eyes that experienced laser-related eye injuries while attending the same religious festival during the same time. To the best of our knowledge, this is the largest series of laser-related eye injuries reported from a single public gathering.…”