Histopathologic evaluation of dry eye disorders before and after treatment

Vitamin A deficiency is a common cause of dry eye disease in Egypt and many other countries. In this study, the conjunctival histopathologic changes resulting from such disease were evaluated before and after treatment with vitamin A. Vitamin A deficiency was found to cause loss of goblet cell population, increased epithelial stratification, inflammatory lymphocytic infiltrate, conjunctival atrophy, post inflammatory obstruction of the lacrimal ducts epithelial keratinization and submucosal congestion. These changes were reversed 8-10 weeks following treatment. The conjunctival changes reported in this study appear to represent a protective mechanism against loss of physiologic wetting and its chemical constituent ingredients