Documentation of recovery from vitamin A deficiency-related retinopathy via multimodal imaging and electroretinogram testing.

Abstract

Purpose: To describe vitamin A deficiency using multimodal functional visual assessments and imaging.

Methods/case: A 50-year-old female with past medical history significant for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery complained of nyctalopia and "yellowing" of vision.

Results: Vitamin A levels were noted to be < 0.06 mg/L (normal 0.3-0.12 mg/L). Fundus examination was notable for peripheral yellow punctate lesions, superior arcuate defects on HVF 30-2 testing, an indistinct ellipsoid zone on SD-OCT, and absent rod responses and severely reduced amplitudes for the cone photoreceptors on full-field ERG. These findings resolved with initiation of parenteral vitamin A supplementation.

Conclusion: This report documents an example of vitamin A deficiency in the developed world. We aim to provide a comprehensive description of clinical examination and multimodal imaging findings before and after vitamin supplementation for vitamin A deficiency.