[Eye injuries during a laser show]

Laser injuries are usually described in case reports concerning military personnel or scientists who had an accidental exposition to a laser. Today laser injuries to un-involved persons become more frequent. The potential danger for eye injuries was discussed by Birngruber and Gabel (2) in 1984.

A patient presented 4 days after the accident with a monocular decline in vision and a scotoma after being hit by a ray of a discotheque laser. At the time of the accident the patient was standing on the dance floor watching a laser show. From that moment he reported a scotoma on the affected eye. The examination of the patient by an ophthalmologist 3 days later revealed a monocular decline in vision to 0.3 and a scotoma. Reading problems were reported. The fluorescence angiography confirmed the biomicroscopical barely visible line shaped defect next to the foveola which was according to our clinical experience caused by the ray of a laser. The vision defect and the scotoma remained stable during the follow up period.

Before the first use of a show-laser unit it gets approved. Every change of the unit or the change of its position requires a new technical check by authorized institutions. At present many show lasers in use are not met with this requirement. Manipulations to the lasers are easy to perform and improve the intended show effect. The missing control practice provokes eye threatening situations for an enormous number of persons who are not aware of the danger.