Adult Scurvy Presenting with Painful Purpura on the Legs

Prolonged vitamin C deficiency can result in numerous metabolic abnormalities like impaired tissue repair and defective collagen synthesis. This case report describes a middle-age Japanese man presenting painful purpura on his lower limbs, severe anemia, and altered consciousness. The patient had be...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Internal Medicine 2022/06/15, Vol.61(12), pp.1913-1916
Main Authors: Tamura, Nayu, Obara, Takafumi, Yamada, Taihei, Nojima, Tsuyoshi, Nakamura, Shunsuke, Koide, Yasuhiro, Takaoka, Makoto, Naito, Hiromichi, Nakao, Atsunori
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
anemia
Ascorbic acid
Case Report
Children
Collagen
Dietary supplements
Internal medicine
Malabsorption
Malnutrition
Nutrient deficiency
peliosis
Purpura
vitamin C
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Summary:Prolonged vitamin C deficiency can result in numerous metabolic abnormalities like impaired tissue repair and defective collagen synthesis. This case report describes a middle-age Japanese man presenting painful purpura on his lower limbs, severe anemia, and altered consciousness. The patient had been eating a selective diet lacking in vegetables and fruits since childhood. A serum analysis demonstrated a low level of vitamin C. The patient was treated with vitamin supplementation and psychological intervention. Scurvy is an under-considered illness with a favorable prognosis if diagnosed early while it is still sporadically encountered in some patients with malabsorption or malnutrition even in modern times.
ISSN:0918-2918
1349-7235
DOI:10.2169/internalmedicine.8409-21