Vitamin A-Responsive Panocular Xerophthalmia in a Healthy Adult

Sommer, Alfred; Sugana, Tjakrasudjatma; Djunaedi, Edi; Green, W. Richard

doi:10.1001/archopht.1978.03910060264016

Cited by 30 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…These lesions represent loss of pigment from the retinal pigment epithelium and may be accompanied by blind spots or scotomas, congruent with their distribution on the retina (14). Xerophthalmic fundus, as it is called, is usually reported among older children and adults and is at present primarily of investigational interest.…”

Section: The Retinasupporting

confidence: 42%

Delivery of oral doses of vitamin a to prevent vitamin a deficiency and nutritional blindness

West

1985

Food Reviews International

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Approximately 8 to 10 million new cases of xerophthalmia due to vitamin A deficiency occur each year, with as many as ½ to 1 million children developing potentially blinding corneal disease. While vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of blindness among children in developing countries, even milder states of deficiency carry an increased risk of morbidity and mortality, making its prevention a major public health priority. Three basic preventive strategies exist: (1) dietary modification through a variety of horticultural and nutrition education techniques to increase the routine availability and consumption of food sources of vitamin A, (2) fortification of a centrally processed, locally available and consumed food

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Section: The Retinasupporting

confidence: 42%

Delivery of oral doses of vitamin a to prevent vitamin a deficiency and nutritional blindness

West

1985

Food Reviews International

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“…While there is little evidence that infection initiates ulceration and early keratomalacia [1,14], extensive keratomalacia is often accompanied by secondary pan-ophthalmitis. Retinal lesions are an oddity, generally seen only in older children, and leave little if any functional sequelae [1,15].…”

mentioning

confidence: 46%

Xerophthalmia, keratomalacia and nutritional blindness

Sommer¹

1990

Int Ophthalmol

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Vitamin A deficiency remains a major cause of pediatric ocular morbidity. Over five million children develop xerophthalmia annually, a quarter million or more becoming blind. It is also a major pathway for measles-associated blindness, particularly in Africa. Treatment is practical and inexpensive, based upon the oral administration of 200,000 IU vitamin A on two successive days, at a cost of 10 cents U.S. Given the potential rapidity of corneal necrosis (keratomalacia) and the relative inaccessibility of health services to those at greatest risk, prevention is probably more important than treatment. Oral administration of high dose supplements (2000,000 IU every 3 to 6 months), vitamin A fortification of commonly consumed items, or best of all, increased dietary intake of natural sources of vitamin A will reduce the number of needlessly blind young children. Given recent evidence that vitamin A deficiency greatly increases overall mortality, even among children without evidence of xerophthalmia, the same prophylactic regimen may improve child survival by 35% or more.

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“…Ocular symptoms are usually the earliest manifestations (particularly night blindness) 9. Clinical signs include a lustreless, wrinkled, red, and opaque conjunctiva,10 followed by conjunctival xerosis and keratinisation, blepharitis, and meibomianitis, and fundal changes 11. Other features include hyperkeratosis of the skin, lengthening of the eyelashes, enhanced keratinisation and xerosis of other mucosal surfaces, increased intracranial pressure, and mental retardation.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%