[Night blindness and xerophthalmia after surgery for morbid obesity].

METHODS

We describe ocular findings due to a vitamin A deficiency in a 50-year-old man. The patient had undergone intestinal bypass surgery two years before. After therapy with oral vitamin A the symptoms improved.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence of morbid obesity is increasing throughout much of the developed world, with intestinal bypass surgery the treatment of choice for most people with the condition. This type of surgery can lead to a vitamin A deficiency, with remarkable ophthalmological consequences, which without correct treatment may ultimately cause blindness. For this reason, the pathology, even though rare at present, must considered seriously.