Bitot's spots
Bitot's Spots are greyish spots that form on the surface of dry patches of conjunctiva at the sides of the eyes and are named after French Physician, P.A. Bitot (1822-88).
Bitot's Spots consist of fragments of keratinized epithelium. They can be triangular in shape and vary in appearance from "cheesy greyish" to silver-grey and can appear shiny.
A common cause of Bitot's Spots is deficiency of Vitamin A. This condition is more common in developing countries where child nutrition is often poorer than in developed nations. If left undiagnosed and untreated, Bitot's spots may be lead to night blindness, perhaps eventually to xerophthalmia, and in worst cases, blindness.
Bitot's Spots are an example of a medical condition directly associated with malnutrition.
More about Ophthalmology:
This section includes short definitions
of many diseases, disorders, and conditions of the eyes and visual system.
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to the left (but note that this is not a complete/exhaustive list).
Other related pages include
- A diagram of the eye
- Definitions and descriptions of the parts of the eye
- A concise description of the human retina
- Definitions of parts of the retina
- Clinical and surgical procedures re. eyes and human visual system
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