Clinical vitamin A deficiency among preschool aged children in southwest Ethiopia.

Background: The clinical manifestations of vitamin A deficiency (VAD) involve night blindness, bitot's spots, corneal xerosis, and corneal scars. It is the most important cause of preventable childhood blindness among children and causes morbidity and mortality. Even though Ethiopia implemented high-potency vitamin A supplements, the occurrence of VAD remains significant. This study was to identify determinants of clinical VAD among preschool-aged children (PSC) in southwest Ethiopia. Method: A community-based survey was conducted among 411 randomly selected PSCs. A pretested and structured questionnaire coupled with clinical observation for signs of vitamin A deficiency by a trained ophthalmologist was used to collect the data. An anthropometric measurement of height was taken and analyzed using WHO Anthro to calculate Z-scores for each index. The public health significance of VAD was declared after comparison with international references. A bi-variable and multi-variable logistic analysis was done. We reported the adjusted odds ratio (AOR), 95% confidence interval, and p-value. Result: A total of 411 children were screened for clinical VAD, and the overall prevalence was 2.2% (95% CI: 1.5-2.5). Of which, night blindness affects 1.2%, bitot's spots affects 0.7%, and corneal xerosis affects 0.2%, indicating a major public health problem compared to the international reference. The odds of clinical VAD were 81% lower among children who received vitamin A supplementation (VAS; AOR = 0.19, 95% CI: 0.04-0.92). On the other hand, PSC of mothers who had attended ANC visits were 89% less likely to develop clinical VAD (AOR = 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02-0.53). In addition, the study revealed that the odds of developing clinical VAD are 82% lower among PSC aged 36 to 47 months (AOR = 0.18; 95% CI: 0.03-0.97). Conclusion: The prevalence of clinical VAD among PSC is a public health problem and is associated with ANC visits, VAS status, and the age of the child, which could be used to target interventions to further reduce existing VAD. Further studies using reliable dietary intake and biomarker data could further depict the burden of subclinical VAD.

Hepatitis A Leading to Severe Vitamin A Deficiency and Bitot's Spots in a Three-Year-Old Male Child: A Case Report.

This case presentation details the clinical journey of a three-year-old male child presenting with fever, abdominal distention, and loose stools. The child's symptoms, unresponsive to initial treatment at two hospitals, led to the discovery of elevated liver enzymes and subsequent referral to a tertiary care center. Clinical examination revealed hepatomegaly, abdominal distension, and non-palpable spleen. Laboratory findings confirmed acute hepatitis, prompting further investigation into the child's dietary history and revealing a potential foodborne infection. The child was diagnosed with hepatitis-associated severe vitamin A deficiency, manifested by Bitot's spots on ophthalmic examination. Prompt initiation of antiviral therapy, nutritional supplementation, and supportive care resulted in a positive clinical response, with resolution of symptoms and normalization of liver enzymes. This case underscores the importance of recognizing nutritional deficiencies in the context of infectious diseases, emphasizing the need for a comprehensive approach to patient care. The successful management of this complex case highlights the significance of interdisciplinary collaboration in ensuring optimal outcomes in pediatric patients with overlapping infectious and nutritional etiologies.

Xerophthalmia secondary to bowel malabsorption after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass.

Introduction: Vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin, obtained through diet. Vitamin A deficiency is the leading cause of preventable blindness in children in developing countries due to impaired intake (Phanachet et al. 2018). Nevertheless, it is uncommon in the developed world where malabsorption takes a prominent role. Case description: A fifty-one-year-old female presented complaining of foreign body sensation, pain, tearing, fluctuating visual acuity, nyctalopia, diarrhea, polyphagia and weight loss. She had history of Roux-en-Y gastro-jejunal bypass, Lynch syndrome and right hemicolectomy with ileo-colonic anastomosis, she also referred to an additional unspecified bowel resection. In the ophthalmologic examination, best corrected visual acuity was 20/30, intraocular pressure was 11 mmHg in both eyes. Anterior segment biomicroscopy revealed a dry and thickened conjunctiva with wrinkles, multiple grey-white small, round, confluent, foamy lesions in the interpalpebral conjunctiva of both eyes, compatible with Bitot's spots, and superficial punctate keratitis. Discussion: The rise of bariatric surgery, inflammatory bowel disease and end stage liver disease has led to an increase in cases of malabsorption syndrome and nutrient deficiencies in the developed world. Retinoids are essential for corneal and conjunctival epithelial cells differentiation and its deficiency is associated with a wide spectrum of ocular surface manifestations known as xerophthalmia. In this case, a gastric bypass and another unspecified bowel resection should raise the suspicion of malabsorption and nutrient deficiencies. In our patient, the diagnosis was made early and appropriate treatment was implemented before irreversible damage arose, however, vitamin A deficiency can be easily overlooked. Conclusion: In patients with xerophthalmia, interrogation should include previous history of gastrointestinal surgery, especially since bariatric surgery has become a popular technique. This is, to our knowledge, the first case report of xerophthalmia in a patient with Lynch syndrome.

Immunohistochemistry in an Adult Case of Bitot's Spots Caused by Vitamin A Deficiency.

Bitot's spots (BS) are the buildup of superficially located keratin in the conjunctiva and are early indicators of vitamin A deficiency (VAD), primarily due to malnutrition and malabsorption, thus leading to xerophthalmia. BS are particularly prevalent in developing countries, and their presence necessitates prompt vitamin A supplementation to avert blindness, with the immunohistochemical characteristics of BS aiding in understanding the extent of epithelial abnormalities and the efficacy of vitamin A supplementation. We describe the case of a 34-year-old male with persistent BS despite extensive vitamin A supplementation and topical treatments who underwent surgical excision of the BS followed by amniotic membrane transplantation, thus resulting in symptom relief and epithelialization, with no recurrence observed during follow-up. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical evaluations revealed expression of keratinization-related proteins, along with an absence of mucin-5AC-positive cells, suggesting impaired differentiation into goblet cells due to VAD. This case highlights the potential age-related disparity in the efficacy of vitamin A supplementation, emphasizing the need for early detection and a multidisciplinary approach in the management of VAD, especially in young adults. The favorable outcome of surgical intervention highlights its viability in the management of persistent BS and encourages further investigation to optimize therapeutic strategies for VAD-related ocular manifestations.

Vision Loss in a Healthy Child: A Case of Vitamin A Deficiency.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) is common in developing countries but rare in resource-rich countries. In developed countries, malabsorption and behavioral issues are more common reasons for VAD. The current case is an example of a healthy child who developed ocular symptoms due to vitamin A deficiency in the setting of cultural influences and emotional stressors.

Mucosal Leishmaniasis Involving the Nostril and Maxillary Sinus: A Case Report.

An eight-year-old child presented with nasal discharge, stuffiness, and whitish polypoid swelling in the left nostril with Bitot's spot. Computed tomography (CT) evaluation showed complete involvement of the left nostril and maxillary sinus. Blood investigations revealed leukocytosis, raised absolute eosinophils, increased alkaline phosphatase, and reduced vitamin A levels. Histopathological examination revealed inflammatory infiltrate with Leishman-Donovan bodies, which confirms the diagnosis of mucosal leishmaniasis (ML). In the present case, the recording of demographic data is important as the child was a migrant from the leishmaniasis-endemic area of Bihar state, India. Nasal polypoid growth was removed by endoscopic surgery, followed by a combination of allopathic and polyherbal preparation. The child responded well to these therapeutic measures, and there was no recurrence of nasal discharge, stuffiness, and crustation at six-month follow-up.

Xerophthalmia in Picky Eater Children.

Xeropthalmia refers to a range of ocular symptoms caused by vitamin A deficiency (VAD), ranging from night blindness and Bitot's spots to corneal xerosis, ulceration, and keratomalacia, which can lead to blindness. We report two cases of xerophthalmia in children with intellectual disabilities. Ocular examination revealed generalized conjunctival xerosis, corneal xerosis, and dense superficial punctate keratopathy. Both share a history of a strict self-selective diet of mainly rice and noodles. Serum vitamin A levels for these children showed a very low level (<0.10 µmol/L) and were categorized as severe VAD. One of the cases showed signs of improvement, and the other one succumbed to death secondary to pneumonia. Therefore, proper history-taking, early detection, and prompt treatment are important to prevent the devastating sequelae of VAD.

Association between the socioeconomic determinants and soil-transmitted helminthiasis among school-going children in a rural area of Haryana.

BACKGROUND: WHO indicates that India has the highest burden of soil-transmitted helminthiasis (STH) in the world, contributing to 25% of the total global cases, with 220 million children aged 1-14 estimated to be at risk. AIM AND OBJECTIVE: To study the association between the socioeconomic factors and STHs among primary school children in a rural area of Haryana. METHODOLOGY: The study was conducted among children aged 6-10 years studying in the rural government primary schools in the rural areas of Haryana. A total of 300 children were enrolled from government school. RESULTS: The study found that the prevalence of helminthiasis was 28.7% (86/300) and of these 14.0% children were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides and sex wise association with Helminthic infection was observed as statistically nonsignificant. One third of the (31.39%; 27/86) children were pallor and 5.81% subjects were having Bitot's spot while 13.95% children were having constitutional symptoms such as weakness, 6.97% subjects have fatigue, and 5.81% children have body ache. DISCUSSION: The morbidity can be reduced with appropriate inputs to improve the environmental factors. This may need investment for sanitary latrines, food hygiene, and safe drinking water, anti-helminthic drugs, and health education. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS: The results of the study concluded and recommended that proper implementation of national deworming day and other long-term strategies like sanitation, clean drinking water, adequate sanitation, and also improvement in nutritional status through various nutritional health programmes.

Prevalence and Associated Factors of Clinical Vitamin A Deficiency Among Pre-School Children 1-5 Years of Age in Rural Kebeles in Farta District, South Gondar Zone, Ethiopia: A Mixed Methods Study.

BACKGROUND: Globally, pre-school children are the most at-risk population groups for vitamin A deficiency (VAD). The 2009 World Health Organization (WHO) report stated that one-third (190 million) of pre-school children worldwide are deficient in vitamin A. Both clinical and subclinical VAD have been a long-standing problem in developing countries. In Ethiopia, VAD was recognized as a public health problem 4-5 decades before. Since then, researches conducted in other parts of the country still showed varied and high prevalence, which is 2-8 times higher than WHO cut-off points. This community-based study was therefore conducted on pre-school children of rural kebeles in Farta district to determine the prevalence of clinical VAD (Bitot's spot and night blindness) and associated factors. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional mixed quantitative and qualitative study was conducted. Randomly selected 588 pre-school children participated in the study. The clinical aspect of the study investigated the presence of Bitot's spots on the children's eye with the aid of a magnifying loop and torch. Data on the history of night blindness were obtained from mothers/caregivers by using WHO standard questions. The qualitative study data were obtained via a key informant interview with the mothers/caregivers whose child has clinical VAD. Quantitative data were entered using Epi Data statistical software and analysed by using SPSS version 20 statistical software package. A bivariable logistic regression was employed, and variables that showed significant association with clinical VAD (P < 0.2) were entered a multivariable logistic regression model to identify independent predictors of clinical VAD. RESULTS: The prevalence of Bitot's spot and night blindness was 0.8% and 1.2%, respectively. Pre-school children who were from highland (AOR: 3.71; 95% CI: 1.01-13.68), a mother having antenatal care (ANC) visit during pregnancy of a child (AOR: 8.63; 95% CI: 2.58-28.79), family monthly income (AOR: 8.63; 95% CI: 2.58-28.79) and handwashing frequency were found to be determinants of VAD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Clinical vitamin A deficiency in the study area is of public health concern because the prevalence of Bitot's and night blindness was above the WHO threshold level. Accordingly, effective preventive measures should be designed to reduce VAD prevalence.

Xerophthalmia: Findings from the Eye Lead to Diagnosis of a Fatal Intestinal Disease.

Vitamin A has an essential role in the maintenance of corneal and conjunctival epithelization, as well as photoreceptor transduction in the retina. A deficiency of vitamin A causes keratinization of the surface epithelium, and night blindness is often the first symptom. This report describes a case of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO), a rare and potentially fatal disease, diagnosed following detection of a vitamin A deficiency in an ophthalmological examination. A 25-year-old female patient presented with a 3-month history of dryness, a burning sensation, and decreased vision, especially at night, in both eyes. She appeared cachectic and ill, and reported having lost 10 kg in the previous year. An ophthalmological examination revealed conjunctival and corneal keratinization in addition to punctate keratopathy with xerosis in both eyes, which raised the suspicion of a vitamin A deficiency. Her serum vitamin A level confirmed the diagnosis, and she was referred to the gastroenterology clinic, where she was diagnosed with CIPO and treated with parenteral multivitamin supplementation. A vitamin A deficiency should be suspected in patients with malnourishment and xerosis. Rapid diagnosis and treatment can be life-saving in cases with a severe underlying pathology.

Clinical vitamin-A deficiency and associated factors among pregnant and lactating women in Northwest Ethiopia: a community-based cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A deficiency is known for its adverse health consequences, such as blindness, growth retardation and death. To curb the problem, Ethiopia has implemented various public health measures although little has been done to examine the deficiency among pregnant and lactating women. As a result, this study assessed the prevalence of Vitamin A deficiency and associated factors among pregnant and lactating women in Lay Armachiho district, northwest Ethiopia. METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted on pregnant and lactating women in Lay Arimachiho district, northwest Ethiopia, using the multistage systematic sampling technique to select participants. The binary logistic regression model was fitted to test the effect of exposure variables, and the Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) with a 95% Confidence Interval (CI) and p-value < 0.05 were computed to identify the significance and the strength of the associations of variables with Vitamin A deficiency. RESULTS: The study revealed that 13.7% of the pregnant and lactating women had night blindness and 0.4% had also Bitot's Spot. Over 35 years of age of mothers (AOR = 2.74; 95%CI: 1.15,7.43), less than USD 22.7 household monthly income (AOR = 8.9; 95%CI: 4.54,21.73), and poor hand washing practices after toilets (AOR = 8.87; 95% CI: 4.43,18.68) were positively associated with VAD, while mothers' access to the media (AOR = 0.20; 95%CI:0.07, 0.59), formal education (AOR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.41), over 18 years of age at first marriage (AOR = 0.19; 95%CI: 0.08,0.36), and no fasting (AOR = 0.14; 95%CI: 0.04,0.46) were negatively associated. CONCLUSIONS: Maternal Vitamin A deficiency was the major public health problem in Lay Armachiho district. Over 35 years of age of mothers, less than USD 22.7 household monthly income and poor hand washing practices after toilets were high risks for VAD, while mothers' access to the media, formal education, over 18 years at first marriage, and no fasting were low risks. Therefore, community awareness about the risk of early marriage, poor hand hygiene practices after toilets, and fasting during pregnancy and lactating period were essential. Organizations working on maternal health need to focus on mothers with low incomes in order to reduce their deficiency in Vitamin A.

Prevalence and associated factors of clinical manifestations of vitamin a deficiency among preschool children in asgede-tsimbla rural district, north Ethiopia, a community based cross sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Vitamin A Deficiency is a common form of micronutrient deficiency, globally affecting 33.3 % of preschool-age children. An estimated of 44.4 % of preschool children in Africa were at risk for vitamin A deficiency. In Ethiopia, vitamin A deficiency leads to 80,000 deaths a year and affects 61 % of preschool children. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence and associated factors with the night blindness, Bitot's spot and vitamin A intake among preschool children in rural area, Asgede-Tsimbla district, North Ethiopia. METHODS: Community based cross sectional study was conducted from January 27 to March 7, 2014. A total 1230 preschool children were selected by systematic random sampling from 8 randomly selected kebelles (smallest administrative unit). Structured and pretested questionnaires adapted from relevant studies and WHO/FAO was for data collection. In addition, sex, age, and height were taken and filled to Emergency Nutrition Assessment (ENA) for Standardized Monitoring and Assessment of Relief and Transition (SMART) 2007 software to convert the nutritional data into Z-scores of the indices. The data was then transported to SPSS version 20. Bivariate and Multivariable binary logistic regressions were carried out to investigate the effect of each independent variable on the dependent variable. Statistical significance was set at p-value < 0.05. RESULT: The odds of Bitot's spots (1.46 %) and night blindness (1.22 %) were higher than the WHO Cut-off levels used to define a public health problem. The odds of night blindness was 4 times higher among children belonging to family size greater or equal to four [Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 4.18, 95 % CI = 1.15,15.3] and 6 times higher among children of illiterate mothers [AOR = 5.96 , 95 % CI = 1.33,26.69]. The odds of Bitot's spots was 5.35 times higher among children belonging to family size greater or more four [AOR =5.35; 95 % CI = 1.49, 19.2], 4.75 times higher among children of illiterate mothers [AOR = 4.75, 95 % CI =1.32, 17.18] and 6 times higher in males than females [AOR = 5.8, 95 % CI = 1.65, 20.46]. CONCLUSIONS: The study revealed that night blindness and Bitot's spots are major nutritional problems in the study area. The independent predictors of night blindness were mother illiteracy status and large family size and also for Bitot's spots were mother illiteracy status, male sex of child and large family size. Therefore, the need to increase educational level of mother, use of family planning of women and emphasis on male children and children from large family size by involving the Education sector, Health sector, (Federal Ministry of Health) FMOH and (Tigray Regional Health Bureau) TRHB is crucial.

Recurrent episodes of night blindness in a patient with short bowel syndrome.

PURPOSE: To describe clinical characteristics in a patient with recurrent episodes of night blindness due to vitamin A deficiency caused by short bowel syndrome in Crohn disease. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), kinetic perimetry, slit-lamp biomicroscopy, ophthalmoscopy, fundus photography, fundus autofluorescence (FAF), spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT), dark adaptometry (DA) and electroretinography (ERG). Serum vitamin A level was measured. RESULTS: A 44-year-old man with a 3-year history of night blindness suffered from a short bowel syndrome with chronic malabsorption due to ileocecal resection in Crohn disease. Both eyes had a BCVA of 0.9, Bitot's spots of the conjunctiva and no significant fundus abnormalities. SD-OCT showed no remarkable changes, whereas FAF was brighter than normal in the center of the fovea. DA showed normal cone and a lack of rod function. The dark-adapted 0.01 ERG was non-detectable, the dark-adapted 3.0 ERG severely diminished, but the light-adapted 3.0 and 30 Hz flicker ERGs were within normal limits. Serum vitamin A level was 0.11 µg/ml (normal 0.30-0.65 µg/ml). Treatment with intravenous vitamin A caused a rapid recovery of night vision and ERG. However, during the following 3 years, he had three further episodes of night blindness with loss of rod function. During each period, parenteral vitamin A substitution brought complete recovery of night vision and rod function. BCVA, fundus, FAF findings and SD-OCT remained unchanged during the course. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with known chronic malabsorption serum vitamin A level should be regularly checked to avoid recurrent night blindness episodes. ERG might be more sensitive than serum vitamin A level and is recommended in case of night blindness but still normal vitamin A level.

Ophthalmic manifestations of vitamin A and D deficiency in two autistic teenagers: case reports and a review of the literature.

We describe the cases of 2 autistic children with ophthalmic and systemic manifestations of vitamin A deficiency due to food faddism. Although vitamin A deficiency is common in the developing world, reports in developed societies are rare. Our patients presented over a 1-year period. The patients were 14 and 13 years old at the time of presentation and were both found to have marked features of vitamin A deficiency related to unusual dietary habits. Anterior segment signs of xerophthalmia were present in both patients. In addition, patient 1 showed evidence of a rod-predominant retinopathy, which resolved with vitamin A supplementation. Due to its rare occurrence, hypovitaminosis A must be highlighted and anticipated in this cohort.

Vitamin A Deficiency Presenting with 'Itchy Eyes'.

We present the case of an 88-year-old female living in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia who developed vitamin A deficiency manifesting as 'itchy eyes' due to a bizarre dietary habit. Slit lamp examination revealed Bitot's spots and a subsequent vitamin A serum level test revealed severe deficiency. An electroretinogram showed grossly reduced a- and b-wave amplitudes consistent with generalised rod and cone dysfunction - these parameters showed marked improvement 5 months post supplementation. This case highlights the presence of vitamin A deficiency in the developed world and that a careful dietary history should be taken when assessing a patient complaining of 'itchy eyes'. Timely diagnosis and treatment may result in dramatic resolution of symptoms and signs as well as prevention of serious morbidity.

Reappearance of Bitot's spots after complete resolution in children between 1 and 5 years of age.

There is limited data on proportion of Bitot's spots (BS), which could reappear after receiving mega dose of Vitamin A (MDVA), and their complete resolution. A prospective, community-based, cohort study with 12 months follow-up was conducted among children (1-5 years) with BS at a district from North India. On diagnosis, 200,000 IU of vitamin A was administered on the same day, then after 4 weeks and subsequently after 6 months. Out of 262 children with BS, 157 (59.9%, 95% CI: 54.1-65.9) children had shown resolution of BS after the MDVA supplementation. Out of 157 children, 97 (61.8%, 95% CI: 54.2-69.4) had reappearance of BS after complete resolution. Kaplan-Meir analysis found that median duration of reappearance of BS was 5 months (95% CI: 3.8-6.2) after their complete resolution. The reappearance of BS after administration of two MDVA within 12 months suggests that children with possibly adequate serum retinol level status may have reappearance of BS.

Bitot's Spots: Look at the Gut.

Vitamin A deficiency (VAD) can cause a range of ocular manifestations, including night blindness, conjunctival and corneal xerosis and keratomalacia. It is an important cause of preventable blindness. Although usually a result of malnutrition, VAD can accompany malabsorption syndrome. We report a case of VAD as manifested by Bitot's spots and eventually diagnosed to have celiac disease. It is, therefore, important to consider gastrointestinal diseases causing malabsorption in the evaluation of VAD.