Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report
Abstract Background Scurvy is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. Although presently rare in the developed world, scurvy was a common potentially fatal disease. In recent times, the most common risk factors for scurvy include alcoholism, low socioeconomic status, and severely poor nutrition...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2019-07-01
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| Series: | BMC Pediatrics |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-019-1605-5 |
| _version_ | 1818347782824525824 |
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| author | Robin M. Lund Mara L. Becker Steven Shapiro Tyler Allison Julia G. Harris |
| author_facet | Robin M. Lund Mara L. Becker Steven Shapiro Tyler Allison Julia G. Harris |
| author_sort | Robin M. Lund |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Scurvy is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. Although presently rare in the developed world, scurvy was a common potentially fatal disease. In recent times, the most common risk factors for scurvy include alcoholism, low socioeconomic status, and severely poor nutrition or dietary restriction secondary to psychiatric illness or developmental disorders. Our case demonstrates the importance of having a high index of clinical suspicion of an uncommon disease in developed countries and emphasizes the necessity of a dietary screening that could potentially reduce extensive work-up in patients with nonspecific complaints. Case presentation We report a case of a 3-year-old previously healthy female originally seen in the rheumatology clinic for limp. She developed weakness and was admitted to the hospital for further evaluation. She underwent extensive diagnostic testing including blood work, magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture, electromyogram, and nerve conduction studies. Ultimately, her vitamin C level returned undetectable. She had immediate and complete improvement upon starting vitamin C supplementation. Conclusions Despite being developmentally appropriate, our patient’s refusal to eat fruits or vegetables had limited her diet, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a diet history in a child presenting with an unknown diagnosis. In addition, our patient had no other characteristic features of scurvy, which further supports the need to consider this diagnosis in a child presenting with lower extremity weakness or abnormal gait. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T17:39:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-91eb6fbbb97b44af858f1a31e180950e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2431 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T17:39:38Z |
| publishDate | 2019-07-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Pediatrics |
| spelling | doaj.art-91eb6fbbb97b44af858f1a31e180950e2022-12-21T23:36:48ZengBMCBMC Pediatrics1471-24312019-07-011911410.1186/s12887-019-1605-5Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case reportRobin M. Lund0Mara L. Becker1Steven Shapiro2Tyler Allison3Julia G. Harris4University of Louisville School of MedicineDuke Clinical Research InstituteChildren’s Mercy Kansas CityChildren’s Mercy Kansas CityChildren’s Mercy Kansas CityAbstract Background Scurvy is one of the oldest diseases known to mankind. Although presently rare in the developed world, scurvy was a common potentially fatal disease. In recent times, the most common risk factors for scurvy include alcoholism, low socioeconomic status, and severely poor nutrition or dietary restriction secondary to psychiatric illness or developmental disorders. Our case demonstrates the importance of having a high index of clinical suspicion of an uncommon disease in developed countries and emphasizes the necessity of a dietary screening that could potentially reduce extensive work-up in patients with nonspecific complaints. Case presentation We report a case of a 3-year-old previously healthy female originally seen in the rheumatology clinic for limp. She developed weakness and was admitted to the hospital for further evaluation. She underwent extensive diagnostic testing including blood work, magnetic resonance imaging, lumbar puncture, electromyogram, and nerve conduction studies. Ultimately, her vitamin C level returned undetectable. She had immediate and complete improvement upon starting vitamin C supplementation. Conclusions Despite being developmentally appropriate, our patient’s refusal to eat fruits or vegetables had limited her diet, emphasizing the importance of obtaining a diet history in a child presenting with an unknown diagnosis. In addition, our patient had no other characteristic features of scurvy, which further supports the need to consider this diagnosis in a child presenting with lower extremity weakness or abnormal gait.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-019-1605-5ScurvyDifficulty walkingMuscle weakness |
| spellingShingle | Robin M. Lund Mara L. Becker Steven Shapiro Tyler Allison Julia G. Harris Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report BMC Pediatrics Scurvy Difficulty walking Muscle weakness |
| title | Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report |
| title_full | Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report |
| title_fullStr | Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report |
| title_short | Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report |
| title_sort | scurvy presenting with limp and weakness a case report |
| topic | Scurvy Difficulty walking Muscle weakness |
| url | http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12887-019-1605-5 |
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