The scourge of scurvy, which is caused by vitamin C deficiency, may be re-emerging amid the cost of living crisis and the rise in weight loss (bariatric) surgery, suggest doctors in the journal BMJ Case Reports after treating a middle-aged man with the condition. Scurvy is eminently treatable, but because it's a disease of the past, first associated with sailors during the Renaissance era, it may be mistaken for other conditions, especially inflamed blood vessels (vasculitis), potentially risking fatal bleeding if left untreated, highlight the authors. Signs can appear as early as a month after a daily intake of less than 10 mg of vitamin C.
The authors treated a middle aged man whose legs were covered with tiny painful red-brown pinpoints, resembling a rash. Blood was also present in his urine and he was anaemic. He tested negative for inflammatory, autoimmune, and blood disorders, and scans revealed no evidence of internal bleeding.
Similarly, a skin biopsy returned no diagnostic clues. His rash continued to spread while he was in hospital. And further questioning revealed that he was short of cash and neglected his diet, eating little in the way of fruit and vegetables.
He said that he sometimes skipped meals altogether. He had also stopped taking the nutritional supplements prescribed for him after previous weight loss surgery, because he said he couldn't afford them. Related Stories Liraglutide activates key brain circuits to trigger weight loss in obesity A week of inte.