title: A case of recurrent, self-inflicted handheld laser retinopathy.
abstract: A 17-year-old young man presented with vision loss and discrete, bilateral foveal lesions. The patient returned 6 weeks later with worsening vision, prominent bilateral retinal lesions, and a full-thickness macular hole in the right eye consistent with recurrent self-inflicted handheld laser retinopathy. After instructing the family to remove the patient's access to laser pointers, follow-up examination revealed spontaneous closure of the macular hole but minimal vision improvement. Recurrent ocular exposure to handheld lasers can masquerade as an organic process in patients who withhold pertinent history. Clinicians should rely on the distinguishing features seen on examination and multimodal imaging to make the diagnosis of handheld laser retinopathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Joseph M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Simonett
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois; G. B. Bietti Eye Foundation, Istituto di Ricerca e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scarinci
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Carle Foundation Hospital and Department of Surgery, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Urbana, Illinois.
authors.forename: Leanne T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: Labriola
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Lee M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Jampol
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
authors.forename: Debra A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Goldstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois. Electronic address: amani.fawzi@northwestern.edu.
authors.forename: Amani A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Fawzi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006801:Humans; D007834:Lasers / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D064847:Multimodal Imaging; D061848:Optical Imaging; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012008:Recurrence; D012160:Retina / Q000293:injuries*; D012164:Retinal Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D041623:Tomography, Optical Coherence
chemical_list: D017367:Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors