Retinal damage induced by red diode laser.

Widespread use of compact, low-cost diode lasers (pointers and illuminators) has ushered in an era where large numbers of the general public are accidentally or deliberately exposed to low-power laser radiation. The objectives of this study are both to determine the primate retinal lesion threshold for exposure to 650 nm diode laser radiation and to examine the risks of retinal damage from low-level (sub-threshold) ocular exposures. To this end, the ED50 and ED10 damage thresholds, their fiducial limits, and the slopes of the probability vs. dose curves have been examined in detail. In addition to conventional fundoscopy, exposed eyes were examined by confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscopy, fluorescein angiography, and histopathology at both the light and electron microscopic levels in attempts to discern tissue disruption following exposures below the ophthalmoscopic ED50 threshold dose. These alternative observation techniques did not identify detectable tissue disruption following exposures below the ophthalmoscopic lesion threshold dose.