TY - JOUR
T1 - Adult blindness secondary to vitamin A deficiency associated with an eating disorder
AU - Velasco Cruz, Antonio Augusto
AU - Attié-Castro, Flávia A.
AU - Fernandes, Sandra L.
AU - Cortes, Jussara Fialho F.
AU - Pierre-Filho, Paulo De Tarso P.
AU - Rocha, Eduardo Melani
AU - Marchini, Júlio Sérgio
PY - 2005/5
Y1 - 2005/5
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Blindness
KW - Eating disorder
KW - Vitamin A deficiency
KW - Xerophthalmia
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U2 - 10.1016/j.nut.2004.12.003
DO - 10.1016/j.nut.2004.12.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 15850971
AN - SCOPUS:17844366281
VL - 21
SP - 630
EP - 633
JO - Nutrition
JF - Nutrition
SN - 0899-9007
IS - 5
ER -