The dark side of the Sun: multimodal imaging of a solar retinopathy case

Solar retinopathy is the photochemical and thermic injury of the retinal photoreceptors and the pigment epithelium caused by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. As a consequence, the most common symptoms are visual acuity deterioration, blurred vision and positive scotoma. Optical coherence tomography (OCT), microperimetry and fluorescein angiography (FLA) are helpful in determining the diagnosis. Authors present an 18-year-old male having central scotomas affecting both eyes who presented at the Department of Ophtalmology of Semmelweis University. OCT scans revealed a localised defect and hyperreflectivity of certain retinal layers and microperimetry examination detected decreased retinal sensitivity consistent with the lesions. After a follow-up of 6 months, the defect of the right eye became more subtle and the one on the left disappeared completely. Microperimetry results correlated with OCT findings. Subjective symptoms on the right eye decreased significantly and they do not affect his daily life anymore, symptoms on the left eye discontinued. Currently, no specific therapy exists for solar retinopathy. Symptoms and defects in favourable cases normalise in 3–6 months which highlights the importance of public health education and prevention. Orv Hetil. 2020; 161(16): 632–636.