title: Acquired night blindness due to bad eating patterns.
abstract: We report a case of acquired night blindness in a developed country (Spain) without risk factors for nutritional deficiency disease or family history of hereditary retinal disease. A 76-year-old woman presented with acquired night blindness of 6-month progression. After a thorough inquiry about eating patterns she becomes suspicious of vitamin A low dietary intake, which is analytically confirmed and successfully treated. Despite being very uncommon in our environment and even more in patients without digestive problems, in a patient reporting acquired night blindness vitamin A deficiency should not be discarded until eating patterns have been investigated. It might be especially relevant in certain socioeconomic situations and eating disorders such as bulimia or anorexia nervosa.
authors: Ophthalmology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Parafita-Fernández
authors: Neurophysiology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: M M
authors: MM
authors: Escalona-Fermín
authors: Ophthalmology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Sampil
authors: Ophthalmology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Moraña
authors: Ophthalmology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Viso
authors: Ophthalmology Department, Complejo Hospitalario de Pontevedra, Pontevedra, Spain.
authors: P C
authors: PC
authors: Fernández-Vila
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D018450:Disease Progression; D058620:Elder Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009755:Night Blindness / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D013030:Spain; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D014801:Vitamin A