RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Scurvy: still a threat in the well-fed first world?
JF Archives of Disease in Childhood
JO Arch Dis Child
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health
SP 381
OP 383
DO 10.1136/archdischild-2018-315496
VO 104
IS 4
A1 Giulia Ceglie
A1 Giulia Macchiarulo
A1 Maria Rosaria Marchili
A1 Alessandra Marchesi
A1 Lelia Rotondi Aufiero
A1 Chiara Di Camillo
A1 Alberto Villani
YR 2019
UL http://adc.bmj.com/content/104/4/381.abstract
AB We report three cases of scurvy in previously healthy children referred to us for leg pain and refusal to walk. All children had no significant medical history, symptoms had started months before and subtly advanced. Two of them presented with gingival hyperplasia and petechiae, another one reported night sweats and gingival bleeding in the past few weeks. Two had vitamin D deficiency, and all had microcytic anaemia (in one case requiring transfusional support). A nutritional screening revealed low or undetectable levels of ascorbic acid. This, along with the clinical and radiological findings, led to a diagnosis of scurvy. Vitamin C supplementation was started with rapid improvement of the children’s clinical condition. Scurvy is a rare disease in the ‘first world’, but there are anecdotal reports of scurvy in children without any of the known risk factors for this condition. In our cases, a selective diet was the only risk factor.