Keratomalacia is an eye disorder that results from vitamin A deficiency. Vitamin A is required to maintain specialized epithelia (such as in the cornea and conjunctiva). The precise mechanism is still not known, but vitamin A is necessary for the maintenance of the specialized epithelial surfaces of the body. A lack of vitamin A leads to atrophic changes in the normal mucosal surface, with loss of goblet cells, and replacement of the normal epithelium by an inappropriate keratinized stratified squamous epithelium. In addition, the substantia propria of the cornea breaks down and liquefies, resulting in keratomalacia.The resulting cornea becomes totally opaque, which is one of the most common reasons for blindness around the world, particularly in developing countries. See also
Acute promyelocytic leukemia
Keratoconjunctivitis sicca
Xerophthalmia

References
External links

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Medical uses
Its use was approved in December 2012 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in tuberculosis (TB) treatment, as part of a Fast-Track accelerated approval, for use only in cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, and the more resistant extensively drug resistant tuberculosis.As of 2013 both the World Health Organization (WHO) and US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have recommended (provisionally) that bedaquiline be reserved for people with multidrug-resistant tuberculosis when an otherwise recommended regimen cannot be designed. Clinical trials
Bedaquiline has been studied in phase IIb studies for the treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis while phase III studies are currently underway. It has been shown to improve cure rates of smear-positive multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, though with some concern for increased rates of death (further detailed in the Adverse effects section).Small studies have also examined its use as salvage therapy for non-tuberculous mycobacterial infections.It is a component of the experimental BPaMZ combination treatment (bedaquiline + pretomanid + moxifloxacin + pyrazinamide). Side effects
The most common side effects of bedaquiline in studies were nausea, joint and chest pain, and headache. The drug also has a black-box warning for increased risk of death and arrhythmias, as it may prolong the QT interval by blocking the hERG channel. Everyone on bedaquiline should have monitoring with a baseline and repeated ECGs.