Vitamins & Minerals

Keratomalacia in a Patient with Vitamin A Deficiency

Abstract

Roheen Zabih Ur Rahman*, Saleh Mirwais and Hamid Naim

Purpose: To report the clinical finding of a patient with bilateral keratomalacia arising from severe vitamin- A deficiency from a malnourished diet.

Results: A 2-year old female with severe malnutrition presented with 3 weeks of watering and tonic blepharospasm affecting the right and left eyes. She exhibited hypertrichosis, severe weight loss, abnormal hairs with complete corneal melt in the right and left eyes and inflamed iris tissue in the right eye. She was treated with high dose vitamin A, but the right eye required evisceration and tarsorrhaphy was done in the left eye.

Conclusion: The visual morbidity associated with xerophthalmia secondary to vitamin A deficiency can be devastating. Vitamin A deficiency is prevalent in developing and war thorn countries. A good history taking and review of systems are valuable in evaluating malnourished patients with corneal melt.

Keywords: Keratomalacia • Xerophthalmia • Vitamin A deficiency