Abstract
Solar retinopathy is a retinal damage as a result of direct or indirect exposure to the solar radiation. It usually
occurs following direct viewing of an eclipse without adequate protective devices. It may also occur following
prolonged gazing at the sun, during sun bathing, and in patients with psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia
or drug intoxication.
We discuss the clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment of a 26 year old woman who developed solar
retinopathy after prolonged gazing at the sun during a religious ritual.
References
Gass JDM. Stereoscopic atlas of macular diseases:
Diagnosis and treatment. Vol. 4. St. Louis, MO:
Mosby; 1997
Chen KC, Jung JJ, Aizman A. Solar retinopathy:
Etiology, diagnosis and treatment. Retinal Physician.
; 10: 46 – 50.
Davies S. Elliot MH, Floor E, et al. Photocytotoxicity
of lipofuscin in human retinal pigment epithelial
cells. Free Radic Biol Med. 2001; 31: 256-265
Chen JC, Lee LR. Solar retinopathy and associated
optical coherence tomography findings. Clin Exp
Optom. 2004; 87:390-393.
Cangelosi G, Newsome DA. Solar retinopathy in
persons on religious pilgrimage. Am J Ophthalmol.
; 105: 95-97.
Gladstone GJ, Tasman W. Solar retinitis after minimal
exposure. Arch Ophthalmol. 1978; 96: 1368-1369.
Stock RA, Savaris SL, Lima Filho EC, Bonamigo
EL. Solar retinopathy without abnormal exposure:
case report. Arq Bras Oftalmol. 2013; 76: 118-120.
McFaul PA. Visual prognosis after solar retinopathy.
Br J Ophthalmol.1969; 53: 534.
Bruè C, Mariotti C, De Franco E, Fisher Y, Guidotti
JM, Giovannini A. Solar retinopathy: A multimodal
analysis. Case Reports in Ophthalmological
Medicine. 2013 Available from http://dx.doi.
org/10.1155/2013/906920
Penner E, McNair JN. Eclipse blindness report of
an epidemic population in the military population of
Hawaii. Am J Ophthalmol. 1966; 61: 1452.
Dell’Omo R, Konstantopoulou K, Wong R, and
Pavesio C. Presumed idiopathic outer lamellar defects
of the fovea and chronic solar retinopathy: an OCT
and fundus autofluorescence study. Br J Ophthalmol.
; 93(11): 1483–1487.