Bitot spots correspond to gray-white, oval, foamy and irregularly shaped spots on the inside of the eyes. This spot usually appears due to a lack of vitamin A in the body, which leads to an increase in the concentration of keratin in the conjunctiva of the eye.
The lack of vitamin A is usually characteristic of a disease called xerophthalmia or night blindness, which corresponds to the inability to produce tears and difficulty seeing, especially at night. Thus, Bitot spots usually correspond to one of the clinical manifestations of xerophthalmia. Understand more about xerophthalmia and how to identify it.
Main symptoms
In addition to the appearance of white-gray spots on the inside of the eye, there may also be:
- Decreased eye lubrication; Night blindness; Greater predisposition to eye infections.
The diagnosis of Bitot's spots can be made through a biopsy of the injured tissue and by researching the amount of vitamin A in the blood.
Possible causes
The main cause of the appearance of Bitot spots is the deficiency of vitamin A, which can happen either due to a decrease in foods containing this vitamin or due to situations that hinder the absorption of the vitamin by the body, such as malabsorption syndrome, for example.
However, the spots can also appear as a result of inflammation of the conjunctiva, known as conjunctivitis. See what are the types of conjunctivitis.
How the treatment is done
The treatment is usually done with the objective of eliminating the cause of the Bitot stain, and the doctor may recommend the use of vitamin supplementation and increased consumption of foods rich in vitamin A, such as liver, carrots, spinach and mango. See which foods are rich in vitamin A.
In addition, the use of specific eye drops may be indicated by the ophthalmologist to decrease the dryness of the cornea. Find out what are the types of eye drops and what they are for.
