Adult blindness secondary to vitamin A deficiency associated with an eating disorder.
OBJECTIVE
We examined an adult patient who lost one eye due to severe keratomalacia secondary to self-induced vitamin A deficiency.


METHODS
This case report provides a clinical, ophthalmologic, and laboratory description in addition to a review of the medical literature.


RESULTS
A 33-y-old woman with a 17-y history of an eating disorder presented with bilateral conjunctival xerosis, an infected corneal ulcer in the right eye and a large descemetocele in the left eye. Laboratory and clinical findings were consistent with vitamin A deficiency. Despite a tectonic penetrating keratoplasty, her left eye perforated and had to be eviscerated. In parallel, vitamin A replacement improved her clinical status and the ocular findings in her right eye.


CONCLUSIONS
The present report indicates that vitamin A deficiency secondary to eating disorders should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with severe dry eye and corneal ulceration.
Velasco Cruz
Antonio Augusto
AA
Department of Ophthalmology, Division of Nutriology, School of Medicine of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil.
Attié-Castro
Flávia A
FA
Fernandes
Sandra L
SL
Cortes
Jussara Fialho F
JF
de Tarso P Pierre-Filho
Paulo
P
Rocha
Eduardo Melani
EM
Marchini
Júlio Sérgio
JS
D000328:Adult; D001766:Blindness / Q000209:etiology*; D003229:Conjunctival Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D003320:Corneal Ulcer / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017234:Eye Evisceration; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D014985:Xerophthalmia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology
D014801:Vitamin A