RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Now you C me: a case of scurvy presenting as depression and anaemia
JF BMJ Case Reports
JO BMJ Case Reports
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP e233645
DO 10.1136/bcr-2019-233645
VO 13
IS 3
A1 In Sun Na
A1 Kevin Nguyen
A1 Bradley Potenzi
A1 Minz Cheah
YR 2020
UL http://casereports.bmj.com/content/13/3/e233645.abstract
AB A 66-year-old Caucasian woman was admitted with deteriorating mental health in the setting of background history of schizophrenia and depression. Her husband reported that she had increasing negative thoughts and decreased motivation regarding her self-care over a few weeks with no obvious stressors. Initial laboratory tests were unremarkable except for isolated normocytic anaemia. Physical examination revealed widespread bilateral upper limb ecchymoses and lower limb petechial rash. After an extensive investigation with no definitive results to explain her clinical presentations, diagnosis of scurvy was suspected and confirmed with severely low serum vitamin C level. Her clinical symptoms improved markedly with oral supplementation, which further supported the diagnosis of scurvy. Although it is now a rare condition in developed countries, this case will remind modern medical practitioners that patients with scurvy may present with non-specific symptoms and clinical findings such as depression and anaemia.