Abstract
Purpose:
Domestic light can induce serious and permanent eye damage.
Methods:
The first case is a 66 year old patient with a small yellow macular lesion in the left eye. It is the result of an accidental arc flash 10 years ago ( associated with immediate reduced vision). Optical Coherence Tomography shows a retinal healing processes occurring in outer layers, with an ellipsoid line interruption. The second case is a 65 year old patient suffered an eye electrocution 40 years earlier. Fundus examination reveals a broad linear retinal scar barring the lower retina. The third case is a 43 years old patient, exposed to a laser pointer. Seen within one hour after the traumatism, the patient complained of photophobia and visual loss. Fundus examination revealed a macular retinal lesion with sharp edges. The last case is a 43 years old patient, accidentally exposed to velocimetry laser in a research laboratory. The impact is unfortunately located on the macula, its edges are sharp. Visual acuity has dramatically decreased .
Results:
The ocular phototoxicity related to artificial light is much less documented than that associated with natural light. These observations reflect the dangerous acute exposure because of macular reflex fixation. The authors perform a review of the literature for these four types of light sources.
Conclusions:
These retinal injuries are certainly underestimated. They highlight the importance of professional recommendations and the real danger of some types of laser pointers.
Keywords: 688 retina •
742 trauma •
578 laser