Xerophthalmia and bilateral optic neuropathy secondary to nutritional deficiency in a patient with autism spectrum disorder: Case report and literature review.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), chronic vitamin A deficiency is the leading preventable cause of childhood blindness.1 Patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) represent a high-risk group because they may present eating disorders that lead to severe nutritional deficiencies. We present the case of a pediatric patient diagnosed with ASD who developed xerophthalmia and bilateral optic neuropathy in the context of vitamin A deficiency, associated with vitamin B12 deficiency and anemia, who was managed and followed up through a multidisciplinary approach. The aim of this work is to present a case report accompanied by a literature review to contextualize it, compare it with previously described cases in the scientific literature, and highlight its relevance in diagnostic and therapeutic management.