Night Blindness in a Teenager With Cystic Fibrosis

This article describes the case of a 16-year-old boy with cystic fibrosis who presented with difficulty seeing in the dark. He had a history of bowel surgery at birth, and he developed cystic fibrosis liver disease and osteopenia during his teenage years. He always had good lung function. When his serum vitamin A level was checked, it was undetectable in sample. He was diagnosed with night blindness and commenced on high-dose vitamin A. His symptoms resolved within 3 days. However, it took over 1 year for his vitamin A level to return to normal. This case emphasizes the importance of monitoring vitamin levels in cystic fibrosis to detect deficiency and prevent long-term consequences, and it highlights the challenges encountered during the course of night blindness treatment. (Nutr Clin Pract. 2011;26:718-721)