Vitamin A deficiency with xerophthalmic scars of cornea

This code signifies a chronic deficiency of Vitamin A that has progressed to cause permanent scarring of the cornea, a condition known as xerophthalmic scars. This scarring is a severe and irreversible ocular manifestation of prolonged vitamin A deprivation, often leading to significant visual impairment or blindness.

Use this code when documentation explicitly states a diagnosis of vitamin A deficiency with evidence of corneal scarring due to xerophthalmia. This typically applies to patients with a history of severe malnutrition or malabsorption, and ophthalmological findings confirming corneal opacities or scars directly attributed to the deficiency.

• Ensure documentation clearly links the corneal scarring to vitamin A deficiency; otherwise, a general corneal scar code may be more appropriate.
• Consider sequencing this code as a primary diagnosis if the vitamin A deficiency and its ocular sequelae are the main reason for the encounter.
• Distinguish from acute xerophthalmia without permanent scarring, which would be coded differently.