Vitamin A and carotene levels in patients with xerophthalmia

ABSTRACT

Thirty patients of xerophthalmia were studied to determine vitamin A and carotene levels and effect of vitamin A supplementation. The pretreatment levels of plasma vitamin A were low in all 30 patients and significantly low as compared to controls. The clinical deficiency correlated well with the low levels of vitamin A which also indicate dc dietary deficiency of this vitamin. Most of the patients had defective visions. Flowing intensive vitamin A therapy, the ocular lesions responded well in patients with conjunctival xerosis, Bitot's shots corneal ulceration and night blindness. No changes were noted in patients with partial and total. keratomalacia. Recurrence was observed in four cases