title: High-power handheld blue laser-induced maculopathy: the results of the King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital Collaborative Retina Study Group.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report various types of maculopathy caused by momentary exposure to a high-power handheld blue laser.
  
  
  METHODS
  Consecutive case series.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen eyes of 14 patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a history of eye exposure to a blue laser device (450 nm and a power range of 150-1200 mW) to a single institution were included. Evaluation included a full ophthalmic examination, fundus photography, macular spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, and fundus fluorescein angiography.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of the types of maculopathy and vitreoretinal pathologic features.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All patients were young males. The most common setting for injury was accidental at play. The types of maculopathies encountered were: a full-thickness macular hole (FTMH) in 4 eyes, a premacular subhyaloid hemorrhage in 5 eyes, premacular sub-internal limiting membrane hemorrhage in 2 eyes, an outer retinal disruption at the fovea in 1 eye, an epimacular membrane in 1 eye, and a schisis-like cavity in 1 eye. Best-corrected Snellen visual acuity at presentation ranged from 20/40 to 4/200 (mean, 20/290). Only 4 eyes (29%) improved spontaneously with increase in vision, whereas 10 eyes (71%) required intervention. The latter consisted of neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet hyaloidotomy in the 5 eyes with subhyaloid hemorrhage and pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) for the eyes with FTMH and epimacular membrane. All 4 FTMH were closed successfully after PPV. Final mean best-corrected visual acuity in all cases was 20/35 (range, 20/15-20/300).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Exposure to high-power handheld laser devices can cause a variety of maculopathies that can reduce central vision permanently. Although vision may improve spontaneously, most cases require intervention. Unrestricted access to commercially available high-power handheld laser devices is dangerous and public awareness should be encouraged.
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sulaiman M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Alsulaiman
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Abdulaziz Adel
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Alrushood
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Jluwi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Almasaud
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sultan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Alzaaidi
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Yahya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Alzahrani
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Retina Division, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland.
authors.forename: J Fernando
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Arevalo
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Nicola G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Ghazi
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Emad B
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Abboud
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Sawsan R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Nowilaty
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Amry
authors.affiliation: Vitreoretinal Division, King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Electronic address: srashaed@kkesh.med.sa.
authors.forename: Saba
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Rashaed
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D019773:Epiretinal Membrane / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D005451:Fluorescein Angiography; D006782:Hospitals, Special; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D053844:Lasers, Solid-State / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D009885:Ophthalmology; D012160:Retina / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012166:Retinal Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D012529:Saudi Arabia; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D014821:Vitrectomy; D014823:Vitreous Hemorrhage / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D055815:Young Adult