Case reports presented at the European Society of Retina Specialists (EURETINA) 2026 described how a concert laser show revealed a hidden vascular condition, ocular findings signaled cancer recurrence, and a possible link between eating disorders and retinal hemorrhage.

Concert Laser Triggers Discovery of Hidden Eye Condition

Exposure to laser light displays may destabilize polypoidal lesions and cause submacular hemorrhage disproportionate to the expected photic injury, according to Yaren Guven and Fatma Sümer, with the Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University in Rize, Turkey.

The Patient

• A 32-year-old woman developed acute central vision loss with best-corrected visual acuity reduced to counting fingers at 2 meters, 2 days after exposure to a high-powered concert laser.
• Fundus examination showed dense subfoveal hemorrhage. Spectral-domain OCT confirmed thick hyperreflective submacular collection.
• Indocyanine green angiography revealed a branching vascular network with terminal polypoidal dilation temporal to the fovea consistent with polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy. Enhanced depth imaging OCT showed a pachychoroid phenotype with sharp-peaked pigment epithelial detachment.
• Combined pars plana vitrectomy with subretinal tissue plasminogen activator displacement, anti-VEGF therapy, and photodynamic therapy achieved favorable visual recovery to 20/40 vision.

In Their Own Words

“Typical laser maculopathy causes focal photoreceptor disruption or superficial hemorrhage — massive submacular hemorrhage is exceedingly rare and should raise suspicion of an underlying vascular pathology.”

Abstract title: Concert Laser-Induced Submacular Hemorrhage Unmasking Polypoidal Choroidal Vasculopathy in a Young Female: Multimodal Diagnosis and Combined Surgical Management

Eye Inflammation Signals Breast Cancer Metastasis

Ocular inflammation preceded a diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma, showing the potential role of ophthalmologic findings as an early indicator of systemic malignancy, according to Joana Da Silva Rocha and colleagues from Hospital Pedro Hispano in Matosinhos, Portugal.

The Patient 

• A 59-year-old woman with previously treated triple-negative breast carcinoma presented with 3 months of progressive bilateral central scotomas, with visual acuity reduced to 0.5 in the right eye and 0.2 in the left eye on Snellen decimal scale.
• Evaluation revealed bilateral placoid yellowish macular lesions with amoeboid contours, hypopigmented peripheral lesions, and hyperreflective subretinal lesions, with subretinal fluid in the left eye suggestive of macular neovascularization.
• Investigations prompted by the uveitis work-up led to a chest CT that revealed a left inferior lobe pulmonary mass. Biopsy confirmed metastatic breast carcinoma.
• Treatment with oral corticosteroids and intravitreal aflibercept resulted in transient visual improvement, with final visual acuity improving to 0.7 in the right eye and 0.8 in the left eye.

In Their Own Words

“In this case, ocular inflammation, under the form of multifocal inflammatory choroiditis, preceded the radiologic diagnosis of metastatic breast carcinoma, emphasizing the potential role of ophthalmologic findings as a possible indicator of systemic malignancy, [e]specially in patients with a history of cancer.”

Abstract title: Bilateral Multifocal Choroiditis Reveals Breast Cancer Recurrence

Retinal Bleed Linked to Purging Behavior 

Retinal hemorrhages may be a consequence of bulimia nervosa, suggests a case report from Devarsh Joshi and Suzannah Bell, with Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital, in Basingstoke, England.

The Patient

• A 49-year-old woman with a 5-year history of bulimia nervosa was referred to a retina clinic after retinal hemorrhages were noted by an optician on routine imaging.
• A dilated fundus examination confirmed several small retinal hemorrhages along a superior vascular arcade in the left eye.
• The patient had experienced bloodshot eyes following purging but no other visual symptoms. The woman did not have other significant medical conditions, nor did she report other Valsalva-inducing actions such as heavy lifting or coughing fits.
• Although causality cannot be proven, vomiting-induced Valsalva retinopathy from repeated purging was considered the most plausible diagnosis.

In Their Own Words

“To our knowledge, retinal hemorrhages specifically associated with self-induced vomiting in bulimia nervosa have not previously been reported, highlighting a potentially overlooked ocular consequence of purging behavior…. Greater awareness may facilitate multidisciplinary care between ophthalmology, primary care, and eating-disorder/mental-health services.”

Abstract title: Purging-Associated Intraretinal Haemorrhages in Bulimia Nervosa: A Rare Ocular Complication of an Eating Disorder

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.