Triad of hypovitaminosis A, hyperostosis, and optic neuropathy in males with autism spectrum disorders

Abstract

ABSTRACT Background Persons with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can have restrictive diets due to stereotyped behaviors. These restrictive diets can manifest with nutritional deficiencies, such as Vitamin A deficiency. The most frequent manifestation of hypovitaminosis A is vision loss secondary to xerophthalmia. Here the authors report six cases of males with a clinical triad of hypovitaminosis A, cranial hyperostosis, and optic neuropathy. Methods A retrospective case series of six males (ages 5–17 years old) with ASD who presented with several weeks of vision loss and nyctalopia were reviewed. Results All six subjects were found to have a barely detectable Vitamin A level (<10 mcg/dL). Three of the six cases had elevated protein (45.9–74.0 mg/dL) in their CSF. MRI imaging demonstrated mild T2 enhancement of bilateral optic nerve sheaths and CT showed diffuse skull hypertrophy. Upon further history collection, all subjects had a very limited food repertoire with major nutritional deficiencies. Subjects were prescribed high doses of vitamin A and most were noted to have improved vision at follow-up, and all had resolution of imaging abnormalities on repeat scans. No common genetic variant was identified in patients with expanded genetic sequencing. Conclusions We present a clinical triad of hypovitaminosis A, cranial hyperostosis, and optic neuropathy in six males with ASD. Skull abnormalities and xeropthalmia likely contributed to the development of vision loss.