View abstract

This abstract is assigned to session AOB and FRO E-Posters

Title	Case of Blindness following bariatric surgery improved by vitamin A supplementation
Abstract Nr.	3037

Purpose	To show a case of vitamin A deficiency with an extremely severe visual impairment due to delayed diagnosis, and to remind that vitamin A supplementation can strongly improved the visual acuity.
Methods	Single case report
Results	A 36 year-old man suffering from keratoconus for two years was referred to our clinic for bilateral progressive loss of vision. Two penetrating keratoplasties were performed on the left eye, but visual acuity continued to decline. The medical history revealed a gastric bypass surgery ten years earlier followed two years later by biliopancreatic diversion. At the time of diagnosis, the visual acuity was light perception of the right eye and complete blindness of the left eye. Fullfield ERG showed an absence of signal for all stimulations. Serum analysis showed an undetectable vitamin A level with Cu, Zn, Se, vitamin D and E deficiencies. After one year of vitamin A supplementation we noticed a remarkable improvement of the fullfield ERG. The patient recovered a visual acuity of 24/40 for the right eye, but unfortunately did not recover the visual acuity of the left eye. The incomplete visual acuity recovery is probably linked to primitive corneal ectasia and to the Cu, Zn and vitamin E deficiencies.
Conclusion	Vitamin A is essential conjunctiva, cornea and retina. The increasing rate of bariatric surgery is likely to induce an upsurge of hypovitaminosis A, causing xerophtalmia, night blindness and even legal blindness. But even in the most severe case, urgent vitamin A supplementation is needed and may improve in a spectacular way the visual acuity
Conflict of interest	No

Authors 1

Last name	VALEMBOIS
Initials	A
Department	Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
City	Bruxelles

Authors 2

Last name	BOSCHI
Initials	A
Department	Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
City	Bruxelles

Authors 3

Last name	THISSEN
Initials	J-P
Department	Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
City	Bruxelles

Authors 4

Last name	PINHEIRO-CHAVES
Initials	A
Department	Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc
City	Bruxelles