Accidental Nd:YAG laser-induced macular hole in a pediatric patient

After being exposed to an industrial Nd:YAG laser, an 11-year-old boy developed a full-thickness macular hole in the right eye with resultant visual acuity of 20/100. Five months after the initial injury, the vision was stable and the hole was still present. The patient underwent pars plana vitrectomy, internal limiting membrane peeling, and gas tamponade with prone positioning. Three months postoperatively, visual acuity improved to 20/25 with closure of the macular hole; however, there was a focal photoreceptor deficit. A review of the English-language literature identified 15 eyes with similar macular hole injuries after Nd:YAG exposure. Three eyes were surgically managed. While all holes were successfully closed, only two experienced visual improvement.