Vitamin A treatment for night blindness in primary biliary cirrhosis.

Abstract

Three patients with late stage primary biliary cirrhosis were found to have appreciable night blindness. Serum vitamin A concentrations were low in all three patients despite regular intramuscular supplementation in two. All patients responded dramatically to high dose oral supplementation, with full recovery of adaptation to dark and visual fields. Oral rather than intramuscular vitamin A supplementation seems appropriate in the prevention of ocular complications of vitamin A deficiency in biliary cirrhosis.