Doctors in the United States found four patients who lost vision because they didn’t have enough vitamin A in their bodies. This is surprising because vitamin A deficiency is usually seen in poor countries, not wealthy ones. The patients had serious health problems like cancer, kidney disease, and severe autism that made it hard for their bodies to use vitamin A properly. Three of the four cases were very serious and caused permanent damage to the clear front part of the eye. The good news is that if caught early, vitamin A treatment can stop or reverse the damage. However, all four patients waited too long before getting help, which meant their eyes were already badly damaged.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: Can vitamin A deficiency cause serious eye problems in the United States, and what do these cases look like?
  • Who participated: Four patients at a major hospital who developed eye disease from vitamin A deficiency between January and May 2025. They had different serious health conditions including cancer, heavy alcohol use, severe autism, and kidney failure.
  • Key finding: All four patients developed eye damage from vitamin A deficiency, with three cases being severe enough to cause permanent scarring and holes in the cornea (the clear front part of the eye). One patient had a milder form of the disease.
  • What it means for you: If you have serious health conditions that affect how your body absorbs nutrients, you should talk to your doctor about vitamin A levels. Early detection and treatment can prevent permanent vision loss. However, this is still a rare condition in wealthy countries.

The Research Details

This study looked back at medical records from one hospital to find patients who had eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency. The doctors searched through patient records from January through May 2025 using diagnostic codes for a condition called xerophthalmia, which is dry eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency. They collected information about what the patients’ eyes looked like, their blood vitamin A levels, their eating habits, their medical history, what treatments they received, and how they responded to treatment.

The study included only patients who had a clear diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency eye disease during that time period and had documented eye exam findings. The researchers removed all identifying information from the data before analyzing it to protect patient privacy.

This research approach is important because it shows real-world cases of a disease that doctors in wealthy countries might not expect to see. By carefully documenting what happened to these patients, the study helps doctors recognize the warning signs of vitamin A deficiency and understand which patients are at highest risk. This type of case study is especially valuable for rare conditions.

This is a small study with only four patients, so the findings cannot be applied to large groups of people. However, the detailed information about each case is reliable because it comes from actual medical records. The main limitation is that this happened at just one hospital, so we don’t know if other hospitals see similar cases. The study is recent (2025) and reflects current medical practice in the United States.

What the Results Show

Four patients were identified with eye disease caused by vitamin A deficiency. Three of the four cases were severe and involved permanent damage to the cornea (the clear front part of the eye). In these three cases, the cornea developed holes or perforations, which is a very serious condition that can cause permanent blindness. Two of these severe cases were complicated by infections on top of the vitamin A deficiency damage.

One patient had a milder form of the disease called a Bitot spot, which is a foamy patch on the white part of the eye. This patient’s condition was less advanced than the others. All four patients had low vitamin A levels in their blood, confirming the diagnosis.

The patients had different underlying health problems: one had cancer, one had severe alcohol use disorder, one had severe autism, and one had end-stage kidney disease requiring dialysis. These conditions all made it harder for their bodies to absorb or use vitamin A properly.

An important secondary finding was that all four patients came to the hospital late in the disease process, meaning they waited too long before seeking help. By the time they were seen, most had already developed serious corneal damage. This suggests that vitamin A deficiency eye disease is not being caught early in the United States. The study also shows that certain groups of patients—those with serious digestive problems, kidney disease, cancer, or severe alcohol use—are at higher risk for developing this condition.

Vitamin A deficiency is well-known as a major cause of preventable blindness in developing countries, particularly in Africa and Asia. However, it is rarely seen in wealthy countries like the United States because most people have access to vitamin A through food and supplements. This case series is notable because it shows that the disease still occurs in America, even though it’s uncommon. Previous research has identified that people with certain medical conditions—especially those affecting the digestive system or kidneys—are at risk, and this study confirms that pattern.

This study has several important limitations. First, it includes only four patients from one hospital, so the findings may not apply to other hospitals or regions. Second, the study period was only five months, so we don’t know if this is a typical number of cases or if this hospital happened to see more cases than usual. Third, because this is a case study rather than a controlled experiment, we cannot prove that vitamin A deficiency caused the eye disease—we can only show that it was present. Finally, the study cannot tell us how common this disease really is in the United States because it only looked at patients who came to one hospital.

The Bottom Line

If you have a serious health condition that affects how your body absorbs nutrients—such as kidney disease, severe digestive problems, cancer, or heavy alcohol use—ask your doctor to check your vitamin A levels. If your levels are low, your doctor may recommend vitamin A supplements. If you notice symptoms like dry eyes, blurred vision, or foamy patches on the white part of your eye, see an eye doctor right away. Early treatment with vitamin A can prevent permanent vision loss. (Confidence level: Moderate—based on small case series)

People with serious health conditions that affect nutrient absorption should pay special attention to this research, including those with kidney disease, digestive disorders, cancer, or severe alcohol use disorder. Eye doctors should be aware that vitamin A deficiency can occur in their patients in the United States, especially those with these risk factors. General readers should understand that vitamin A deficiency is still a real health threat, even in wealthy countries, for certain vulnerable populations.

If vitamin A deficiency is caught early, treatment with vitamin A supplements may improve or stabilize eye symptoms within weeks to months. However, if the disease progresses to corneal scarring or perforation (holes in the eye), the damage may be permanent and vision loss may not be reversible, even with treatment. This is why early detection is so important.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • If you have a condition that puts you at risk for vitamin A deficiency, track your vitamin A supplement intake daily and log any eye symptoms (dryness, blurriness, night vision problems) weekly. Note any changes in your vision.
  • Set a reminder to take vitamin A supplements at the same time each day if your doctor has prescribed them. Schedule regular eye exams (at least annually) if you have a condition that affects nutrient absorption. Report any new eye symptoms to your doctor immediately rather than waiting.
  • Keep a log of your vitamin A supplement doses and any eye symptoms. Share this log with both your primary care doctor and eye doctor at each visit. Track changes in vision quality, dry eye symptoms, or any unusual eye appearance. Set calendar reminders for regular eye exams and blood tests to check vitamin A levels.

This research describes rare cases of vitamin A deficiency eye disease and is not medical advice. If you have concerns about vitamin A deficiency or eye health, consult with your doctor or eye care specialist. Do not start, stop, or change vitamin A supplements without talking to your healthcare provider, as too much vitamin A can also be harmful. This study involved only four patients and cannot be applied to all people. Anyone experiencing vision changes should seek immediate medical attention.