Vitamin A Toxicity

Vitamin A is essential for maintaining the body's vision, cell division, reproduction, and immune function. Vitamin A belongs to the category of lipid-soluble compounds called retinoic acids. Beta-carotene is the most well-known form of 2 clinically significant forms of vitamin A: preformed vitamin A and provitamin A carotenoids. Mammals metabolize carotenoids into active vitamin A. Preformed vitamin A encompasses metabolically active compounds such as retinol, retinal, retinoic acid, and retinyl esters. Although essential for overall health, excessive consumption of preformed vitamin A can lead to acute and chronic toxicity. The condition characterized by elevated levels of vitamin A in the body is referred to as hypervitaminosis A. Vitamin A, also known as teratogen, is capable of causing severe malformations. This article comprehensively reviews the prevention, presentation, laboratory findings, and treatment of the 3 recognized syndromes of vitamin A toxicity: acute, chronic, and teratogenic.