Retinal Injuries from a Handheld Laser Pointer

Abstract

To the Editor: Handheld laser pointers are commonly used in lecture halls and are considered to be harmless and safe.1 However, laser pointers can cause severe eye injury, as demonstrated by the case of a 15-year-old boy. The boy had ordered a handheld laser pointer with green light on the Internet to use as a toy for popping balloons from a distance and burning holes into paper cards and his sister's sneakers. The boy's life changed when he was playing with his laser pointer in front of a mirror to create a “laser show,” during which the laser beam hit . . .