Conjunctival Histopathological Changes in Children With Vitamin D Deficiency

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Pediatrics
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Vitamin D deficiency is prevalent in pediatric populations.
• Ocular surface health is crucial for visual comfort and function.
• The impact of vitamin D deficiency on pediatric ocular surface and tear function requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate tear function and conjunctival histopathological changes in children with vitamin D deficiency.
• To compare clinical findings between children with and without vitamin D deficiency.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-control study design.
• Inclusion of pediatric patients with vitamin D deficiency (Group 1, n=38) and a control group (Group 2, n=45).
• Assessment of tear break-up times (TBUTs), Schirmer-1 test, Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores, and conjunctival impression cytology (CIC).

Main Results:

• No significant differences in demographic characteristics between groups.
• Lower median TBUT and Schirmer-1 test measurements in the vitamin D deficient group (P=0.004 and P=0.013, respectively).
• Significantly higher grade 1 and grade 2 conjunctival impression cytology findings in the vitamin D deficient group (P=0.027).

Conclusions:

• Vitamin D deficiency is associated with significant conjunctival histopathological changes in children.
• These conjunctival changes correlate with impaired tear function, specifically affecting Schirmer-1 test and TBUT measurements.
• Findings highlight the importance of vitamin D status in maintaining pediatric ocular surface health.