title: Vitamin B12 optic neuropathy in autism.
abstract: Dietary vitamin B12 deficiency was identified as a cause of partially reversible optic neuropathy in 3 autistic children. All of the affected children presented with gradual visual loss. Examination revealed optic atrophy, and further questioning regarding diet revealed that all 3 children had severe food selectivity and highly stereotyped diets that resulted in an almost total lack of animal products in their diets. Vitamin B12 levels were low in all 3 children. Treatment with intramuscular vitamin B12 and normalization of vitamin B12 levels resulted in improvement of visual functioning in all 3 children. These cases illustrate that food selectivity, a known complication of autism, can result in vitamin deficiency that can cause visual loss and optic atrophy. Physicians must have a high index of suspicion when evaluating children with autism and visual loss to detect this rare cause of optic atrophy.
authors.affiliation: Neuro-ophthalmology Service, Division of Neuro-Ophthalmology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 3400 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
authors.forename: Stacy L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Pineles
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Avery
authors.forename: Grant T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001321:Autistic Disorder / Q000150:complications*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009896:Optic Atrophy / Q000209:etiology; D009901:Optic Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D014806:Vitamin B 12 Deficiency / Q000150:complications*