Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Comment
. 2024 Jun 1;142(6):568-571.
doi: 10.1001/jamaophthalmol.2024.1092.

Photokeratitis in Outdoor Event Participants Exposed to UV Radiation Display

Julia Y Y Chan  1   2 , Vanissa W S Chow  1   2 , Carmen K M Chan  1   2 , Edmund Y M Chan  3 , James S K Lau  3 , Timothy Y Y Lai  1 , Alvin L Young  1   4   5 , Clement C Y Tham  1
Affiliations
Comment

Photokeratitis in Outdoor Event Participants Exposed to UV Radiation Display

Julia Y Y Chan et al. JAMA Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Importance: While UV radiation displays may be used for recreational purposes at outdoor events, unprotected eyes have been reported to have symptoms consistent with photokeratitis. Such symptoms warrant documentation and evaluation in ophthalmic peer reviewed literature.

Objective: To describe a case series of photokeratitis associated with a single ultraviolet radiation display at an outdoor event.

Design, setting, and participants: This case series involved a retrospective record review of 8 patients who presented in public and private health sectors in November 2023 after developing photokeratitis following UV radiation exposure at an outdoor event in Hong Kong on the night of November 4, 2023.

Main outcomes and measures: Clinical symptoms, signs, and clinical course of patients who were diagnosed acute photokeratitis following exposure to UV radiation.

Results: The mean time of UV display exposure for the 8 patients (mean [SD] age, 33.12 [5.19] years; 4 [50%] female) was 3.00 (1.41) hours, and symptoms presented at a mean (SD) 8.88 (8.24) hours after the exposure. None of the patients were wearing spectacles during the exposed period. All patients were affected bilaterally. All patients experienced eye pain, 6 experienced red eye, and 5 experienced tearing and photophobia. Mean (SD) presenting visual acuity was logMAR 0.10 (0.14) (approximate Snellen equivalent, 20/25) for right eyes and 0.06 (0.89) (approximate Snellen equivalent, 20/25) for left eyes. On examination, there were findings of cornea and conjunctival involvement with punctate epithelial erosions and ciliary vasodilation, but none of the patients presented with anterior chamber reaction. Corticosteroids, lubricants, and antibiotics, all provided topically, were prescribed. Five patients were not scheduled for a review, and 3 had follow-up visits, with the length of follow-up ranging from 7 to 10 days. All patients had undergone a complete recovery.

Conclusions and relevance: These findings provide evidence of an association between UV radiation used for recreational purposes and photokeratitis, which may help guide evaluation and management of future cases.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: Dr Lai reported grants from Bayer, Novartis, and Roche and personal fees from Bayer, Novartis, Roche, Oculis, Iveric Bio, Chengdu Kanghong Biotech, Alcon, and Boehringer Ingelheim outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

Figures

Figure.
Figure.. Absence of Corneal Pathology on Day 10 After Initial Exposure to UV Radiation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment on

References

    1. Cogan DG, Kinsey VE. Action spectrum of keratitis produced by ultraviolet radiation. Arch Ophthalmol. 1946;35(6):670-677. doi:10.1001/archopht.1946.00890200685007 - DOI - PubMed
    1. International Commission on Illumination . Collection in photobiology and photochemistry. Accessed November 18, 2023. https://cie.co.at/publications/cie-collection-photobiology-and-photochem...
    1. International Electrotechnical Commission . Safety of laser products—part 1: equipment classification, requirements and user’s guide. Accessed March 29, 2024. https://webstore.iec.ch/publication/17995
    1. Kempen JH. Appropriate use and reporting of uncontrolled case series in the medical literature. Am J Ophthalmol. 2011;151(1):7-10.e1. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2010.08.047 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Singh RB, Thakur S. Nightclub photokeratitis. Ophthalmology. 2020;127(2):239. doi:10.1016/j.ophtha.2019.10.027 - DOI - PubMed