title: Laser-Induced Photic Injury Phenocopies Macular Dystrophy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe the phenotypes associated with laser-induced retinal damage in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five patients with maculopathy and reduced visual acuity associated with laser pointer use were evaluated. Best-corrected visual acuity, retinal structure, and function were monitored with color fundus, infrared (IR), and red-free images, fundus autofluorescence (AF), spectral domain-optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), and full-field electroretinography (ERG).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All five laser pointer injury patients had retinal lesions resembling a macular dystrophy (one bilateral and four unilateral). These lesions were irregular in shape but all had a characteristic dendritic appearance with linear streaks radiating from the lesion. Photoreceptor damage was present in all patients, but serial OCT monitoring showed that subsequent photoreceptor recovery occurred over time in the eyes of at least four patients. One patient also had bilateral pigment epithelial detachments (PED). Both hyper- and hypoautofluorecence were observed in the laser damage area.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In general, OCT and IR images are quite useful to diagnose laser damage, but AF is not as sensitive. Laser pointer damage in children can occasionally be misdiagnosed as a macular dystrophy disease, but the distinctive lesions and OCT features are helpful for differentiating laser damage from other conditions.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University , New York , NY , USA .|b Shanxi Eye Hospital, Shanxi Medical University , Taiyuan , China .
authors.forename: Lijuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University , New York , NY , USA .
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: c Department of Ophthalmology , Peking University First Hospital , Beijing , China .
authors.forename: Hongping
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nie
authors.affiliation: d Casey Eye Institute, Oregon Health and Science University , Portland , Oregon , USA , and.
authors.forename: Kavita V
authors.initials: KV
authors.lastname: Bhavsar
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University , New York , NY , USA .
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: e Bloomberg School of Public Health, the Johns Hopkins University, Division of Environmental Health Engineering , Baltimore , MD , USA.
authors.forename: David H
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Sliney
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University , New York , NY , USA .
authors.forename: Stephen L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Trokel
authors.affiliation: a Department of Ophthalmology , Edward S. Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University , New York , NY , USA .
authors.forename: Stephen H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Tsang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D004596:Electroretinography; D005131:Eye Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D061848:Optical Imaging; D010641:Phenotype; D020419:Photoreceptor Cells, Vertebrate / Q000502:physiology; D012160:Retina / Q000293:injuries* / Q000503:physiopathology; D058499:Retinal Dystrophies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D055213:Retinal Pigment Epithelium / Q000503:physiopathology; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence; D014792:Visual Acuity / Q000502:physiology; D058609:Visual Field Tests
keywords: macular dystrophy; phenocopy; photic injury