Optical coherence tomography of chronic solar retinopathy

PURPOSE: To describe the optical coherence tomographic findings in eight eyes of four patients with chronic solar retinopathy. All patients had a history of sun gazing months to years prior to presentation. DESIGN: Retrospective case series. METHODS: Patients were examined using biomicroscopy performed by two or more experienced vitreoretinal specialists. All eight eyes had optical coherence tomography performed at the time of initial examination. RESULTS: All patients had a history of sun gazing and decreased vision in both eyes. On biomicroscopy, all eyes had a small, irregularly-shaped lamellar defect in the foveal center. No posterior vitreous detachment was present in any eye. Optical coherence tomography revealed a hyporeflective space at the level of the outer neurosensory retina and retinal pigment epithelium in all eyes. CONCLUSION: Optical coherence tomography demon, strates a characteristic hyporeflective space in the outer retina in patients with chronic solar retinopathy. These findings correlate with the histopathology of this condition and may be a useful clinical tool in confirming its diagnosis. (C) 2004 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.