Scurvy
Background
- Nutritional deficiency of Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid)
- Vitamin C is typically found in fruits and vegetables.
- Vitamin C is a cofactor for hydroxylation of proline and lysine amino acids in procollagen molecules, which is required for cross-linking collagen's triple helix.
- Scurvy therefore leads to unstable collagen and collagen fragility.
- leaking of vascular structures
- gingival bleeding
- petechiae
- easy bruising
- leaking of vascular structures
- Vitamin C is also required for the disulfide bonding in hair leading to corkscrew appearance of hair.
Clinical Features
Corkscrew hair in a patient with scurvy.
Petechiae in a patient with scurvy.
Bruising in a patient with scurvy.
Gingival bleeding in a patient with scurvy.
- Gingival bleeding
- Easy bruising
- Petechiae
- Corkscrew hair
Differential Diagnosis
Petechiae/Purpura (by cause)
- Abnormal platelet count and/or coagulation
- Septicemia
- Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
- Hemolytic uremic syndrome
- Leukemia
- Coagulopathies (e.g. hemophilia)
- Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP)
- Acute hemorrhagic edema of infancy (AHEI)
- Hypersensitivity vasculitis
- Primary vasculitides
- Wegener's
- Microscopic polyangiitis
- Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg-Strauss syndrome)
- Secondary vasculitides
- Trauma
Odontogenic Infections
- Acute alveolar osteitis
- Acute necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (trench mouth)
- Dental caries (pulpitis)
- Ludwig's angina
- Periapical abscess
- Pericoronitis
- Periodontal abscess
- Peritonsillar abscess (PTA)
- Retropharyngeal abscess
- Vincent's angina - tonsillitis and pharyngitis
Vitamin deficiencies
- Vitamin A deficiency
- Vitamin B deficiencies
- Vitamin B1 deficiency (Thiamine)
- Vitamin B3 deficiency (Pellagra)
- Vitamin B9 deficiency (Folate)
- Vitamin B7 deficiency (Biotin)
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Vitamin C deficiency (Scurvy)
- Vitamin D deficiency (Rickets)
- Vitamin E deficiency
- Vitamin K deficiency
Evaluation
- Guided by clinical suspicion but confirmed with laboratory analysis of vitamin C levels.
Management
- Vitamin C supplementation.
Disposition
See Also
External Links
References
- Kluesner, Nicholas and Miller, daniel. “Scurvy: Malnourishment in the land of the plenty.” The journal of emergency medicine. Vol 46. no 4. pages 530-532. 2014.
- Maltos, andre, et al. “Scurvy in a patient with AIDS: case report.” Revista de sociedade brasileira de medicina tropical 44(1): 122-123. 2011.
This article is issued from
Wikem.
The text is licensed under Creative
Commons - Attribution - Sharealike.
Additional terms may apply for the media files.