Publication year
2014Source
Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde, 158, (2014), pp. A7813ISSN
Publication type
Article / Letter to editor

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Organization
Ophthalmology
Journal title
Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Geneeskunde
Volume
vol. 158
Page start
p. A7813
Subject
Radboudumc 0: Other Research RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health Sciences; Radboudumc 12: Sensory disorders RIHS: Radboud Institute for Health SciencesAbstract
In the nineteen-nineties, there was much hype in the European media about presumed laser pointer maculopathy. However, the recent introduction of more powerful and therefore more dangerous laser pointers and their easy availability on the internet necessitates vigilance on the issue. This is an urgent matter, as here we report three cases of proven maculopathy due to an unsafe laser pointer. Three boys aged 13, 9 and 12 years used an unsafe laser pointer as a toy and looked repeatedly into the pointer, resulting in a permanent reduction in visual acuity due to macular damage. Laser pointers are not designed to be children's toys or instruments to annoy people in a crowd. Health authorities and the ophthalmic community should be aware of the potential danger of improper use of high-output laser pointers and warn the general public before the widespread availability of unsafe laser pointers and consequently laser pointer-induced macular damage becomes a true social problem.
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- Academic publications [204968]
- Faculty of Medical Sciences [81049]
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