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Solar retinopathy in children
Emily Gregory-Roberts1, Ye Chen2, C Alex Harper2
1Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Australia; Royal Children's Hospital, Victoria, Australia.
Summary
Children viewing the sun can develop solar retinopathy, causing persistent retinal damage. Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) reveals foveal pathology even with normal visual acuity.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Pediatric Ophthalmology
- Retinal Imaging
Background:
- Solar retinopathy is a rare condition caused by direct sun viewing.
- Pediatric solar retinopathy is less understood than adult cases.
Observation:
- A case series of 3 children (5 eyes) with solar retinopathy following sun viewing events.
- Patients underwent visual acuity testing, fundus examination, and spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT).
Findings:
- SD-OCT identified foveal pathology in all affected eyes, irrespective of visual acuity.
- Photoreceptor ellipsoid and interdigitation zones were disrupted in all eyes.
- Outer nuclear layer and external limiting membrane disruptions correlated with decreased visual acuity and resolved over time.
- Ellipsoid and interdigitation zone abnormalities persisted in some eyes at 3-5 months follow-up, despite good visual acuity.
Implications:
- Solar retinopathy in children can lead to persistent retinal damage.
- SD-OCT is crucial for detecting subtle foveal damage in pediatric solar retinopathy.
- Long-term visual consequences may exist even with apparent visual recovery.
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