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Scurvy in Children: A Case Report

Received: 4 March 2024     Accepted: 20 March 2024     Published: 2 April 2024
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Abstract

Scurvy is all the symptoms associated with a diet deficient in ascorbic acid or vitamin C, found in fresh fruit and vegetables. Scurvy is a pathology resulting from a deep and prolonged vitamin C deficiency, which can manifest itself as a bleeding syndrome, wound healing disorders, rheumatic signs, or gum damage. If left untreated (vitamin C supplementation), the disease can be fatal. This water-soluble vitamin is neither synthesized nor stored in the body. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of this pathology due to unbalanced nutrition. Clinical presentations are deceptive and variable, with orthopedic abnormalities and a diffuse hemorrhagic syndrome secondary to a defect in collagen fiber synthesis in children. The diagnosis of scurvy is confirmed by measuring ascorbemia, which is less than 2 mg/L (5-15 mg/L or 17-94 mmol/L), and treatment is based on vitamin C supplementation at 100 to 300 mg/day until complete recovery. We report the case of a 7-year-old patient with an autistic spectrum disorder associated with epilepsy, who presented with scurvy revealed by bone involvement consisting of bone pain, a bleeding syndrome and gingival hypertrophy in context of altered general condition. The diagnosis was confirmed by a collapsed ascorbic acid level (<3 mmol/l) and progressed favorably on vitamin supplementation.

Published in American Journal of Pediatrics (Volume 10, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11
Page(s) 48-51
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2024. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Ascorbic Acid, Bleeding Syndrome, Scurvy, Vitamin C

References
[1] Fain, O. (2004). Carences en vitamine C. La revue de médecine interne, 25(12), 872-880.
[2] Castilla, M., Carretero, J. M., Gracia Téllez, A., & Arsuaga, J. L. (2014). Evidence of rickets and/or scurvy in a complete Chalcolithic child skeleton from the El Portalón site (Sierra de Atapuerca, Spain).
[3] Fain, O. (2005). Musculoskeletal manifestations of scurvy. Joint Bone Spine, 72(2), 124-128.
[4] Solanki, M., Baweja, DK, Patil, SS et Shivaprakash, PK (2011). Carence en acide ascorbique: un rapport de cas. Journal of Dentistry for Children, 78 (2), 115-119.
[5] Noble, J. M., Mandel, A., & Patterson, M. C. (2007). Scurvy and rickets masked by chronic neurologic illness: revisiting “psychologic malnutrition”. Pediatrics, 119(3), e783-e790.
[6] Weinstein, M., Babyn, P., & Zlotkin, S. (2001). An orange a day keeps the doctor away: scurvy in the year 2000. Pediatrics, 108(3), e55-e55.
[7] Brambilla, A., Pizza, C., Lasagni, D., Lachina, L., Resti, M., & Trapani, S. (2018). Pediatric scurvy: when contemporary eating habits bring back the past. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 6, 126.
[8] Bacci, C., Sivolella, S., Pellegrini, J., Favero, L., & Berengo, M. (2010). A rare case of scurvy in an otherwise healthy child: diagnosis through oral signs. Pediatric dentistry, 32(7), 536-538.
[9] Adewumi, A. O., Ashoor, I. F., Soares, F. M., Guelmann, M., & Novak, D. A. (2010). Eruption hematoma as a possible oral sign of infantile scurvy. Pediatric dentistry, 32(2), 151-155.
[10] Hodges, RE, Baker, EM, Hood, J., SAUBERLICH, HE et March, SC (1969). Scorbut expérimental chez l'homme. L'American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 22 (5), 535-548.
[11] Khonsari, H., Grandière-Perez, L., & Caumes, E. (2005). Le scorbut n'a pas disparu: histoire d'une maladie réémergente. La Revue de médecine interne, 26(11), 885-890.
[12] Allgaier, RL, Vallabh, K., et Lahri, S. (2012). Scorbut: Un diagnostic difficile avec un remède simple. Journal africain de médecine d'urgence, 2 (1), 20-23.
[13] Algahtani, H. A., Abdu, A. P., Khojah, I. M., & Al-Khathaami, A. M. (2010). Inability to walk due to scurvy: a forgotten disease. Annals of Saudi medicine, 30(4), 325-328.
[14] Agarwal, A., Shaharyar, A., Kumar, A., & Bhat, M. S. (2015). A swollen thigh and knee pain in a cerebral palsy child–Scurvy. Joint Bone Spine, 5(82), 369.
[15] Bastida, J., Dehesa, L. A., & de la Rosa, P. (2008). Pale orange perifollicular halo as a dermatoscopic sign in scurvy. Actas dermo-sifiliograficas, 99(10), 827-828.
[16] Falkenberg, A. L., Karkenny, A. J., & Sharkey, M. S. (2024). Orthopaedic Manifestations of Scurvy in an Otherwise Healthy Child from a Low Opportunity Index Neighborhood: A Case Report. JBJS Case Connector, 14(1), e23.
[17] Ahmad, S. A., Al Thobiti, T. A., El Toum, M., & Al Harbi, F. (2021). Florid scurvy in an autistic child on a ketogenic diet. Pediatric Emergency Care, 37(8), e483-e484.
[18] Lund, R. M., Becker, M. L., Shapiro, S., Allison, T., & Harris, J. G. (2019). Scurvy presenting with limp and weakness: a case report. BMC pediatrics, 19(1), 1-4.
[19] Cole, J. A., Warthan, M. M., Hirano, S. A., Gowen Jr, C. W., & Williams, J. V. (2011). Scurvy in a 10-year-old boy. Pediatric dermatology, 28(4), 444-446.
[20] Bursali, A., Gursu, S., Gursu, A., & Yildirim, T. (2009). A case of infantile scurvy treated only with vitamin C: a forgotten disease. Acta Orthopædica Belgica, 75(3), 428.
Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Satlane, S., Chahid, I., Harim, F., Atrassi, M., Bensabbahia, D., et al. (2024). Scurvy in Children: A Case Report. American Journal of Pediatrics, 10(2), 48-51. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11

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    ACS Style

    Satlane, S.; Chahid, I.; Harim, F.; Atrassi, M.; Bensabbahia, D., et al. Scurvy in Children: A Case Report. Am. J. Pediatr. 2024, 10(2), 48-51. doi: 10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11

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    AMA Style

    Satlane S, Chahid I, Harim F, Atrassi M, Bensabbahia D, et al. Scurvy in Children: A Case Report. Am J Pediatr. 2024;10(2):48-51. doi: 10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11,
      author = {Siham Satlane and Imane Chahid and Fatima Harim and Meriem Atrassi and Dalal Bensabbahia and Abdelhak Abkari},
      title = {Scurvy in Children: A Case Report
    },
      journal = {American Journal of Pediatrics},
      volume = {10},
      number = {2},
      pages = {48-51},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajp.20241002.11},
      abstract = {Scurvy is all the symptoms associated with a diet deficient in ascorbic acid or vitamin C, found in fresh fruit and vegetables. Scurvy is a pathology resulting from a deep and prolonged vitamin C deficiency, which can manifest itself as a bleeding syndrome, wound healing disorders, rheumatic signs, or gum damage. If left untreated (vitamin C supplementation), the disease can be fatal. This water-soluble vitamin is neither synthesized nor stored in the body. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of this pathology due to unbalanced nutrition. Clinical presentations are deceptive and variable, with orthopedic abnormalities and a diffuse hemorrhagic syndrome secondary to a defect in collagen fiber synthesis in children. The diagnosis of scurvy is confirmed by measuring ascorbemia, which is less than 2 mg/L (5-15 mg/L or 17-94 mmol/L), and treatment is based on vitamin C supplementation at 100 to 300 mg/day until complete recovery. We report the case of a 7-year-old patient with an autistic spectrum disorder associated with epilepsy, who presented with scurvy revealed by bone involvement consisting of bone pain, a bleeding syndrome and gingival hypertrophy in context of altered general condition. The diagnosis was confirmed by a collapsed ascorbic acid level (<3 mmol/l) and progressed favorably on vitamin supplementation.
    },
     year = {2024}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Scurvy in Children: A Case Report
    
    AU  - Siham Satlane
    AU  - Imane Chahid
    AU  - Fatima Harim
    AU  - Meriem Atrassi
    AU  - Dalal Bensabbahia
    AU  - Abdelhak Abkari
    Y1  - 2024/04/02
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    N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11
    DO  - 10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11
    T2  - American Journal of Pediatrics
    JF  - American Journal of Pediatrics
    JO  - American Journal of Pediatrics
    SP  - 48
    EP  - 51
    PB  - Science Publishing Group
    SN  - 2472-0909
    UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajp.20241002.11
    AB  - Scurvy is all the symptoms associated with a diet deficient in ascorbic acid or vitamin C, found in fresh fruit and vegetables. Scurvy is a pathology resulting from a deep and prolonged vitamin C deficiency, which can manifest itself as a bleeding syndrome, wound healing disorders, rheumatic signs, or gum damage. If left untreated (vitamin C supplementation), the disease can be fatal. This water-soluble vitamin is neither synthesized nor stored in the body. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of this pathology due to unbalanced nutrition. Clinical presentations are deceptive and variable, with orthopedic abnormalities and a diffuse hemorrhagic syndrome secondary to a defect in collagen fiber synthesis in children. The diagnosis of scurvy is confirmed by measuring ascorbemia, which is less than 2 mg/L (5-15 mg/L or 17-94 mmol/L), and treatment is based on vitamin C supplementation at 100 to 300 mg/day until complete recovery. We report the case of a 7-year-old patient with an autistic spectrum disorder associated with epilepsy, who presented with scurvy revealed by bone involvement consisting of bone pain, a bleeding syndrome and gingival hypertrophy in context of altered general condition. The diagnosis was confirmed by a collapsed ascorbic acid level (<3 mmol/l) and progressed favorably on vitamin supplementation.
    
    VL  - 10
    IS  - 2
    ER  - 

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Author Information
  • Neuropediatrics Unit, Pediatrics 3, Children’s Hospital A. Harouchi, Casablanca, Morocco

  • Neuropediatrics Unit, Pediatrics 3, Children’s Hospital A. Harouchi, Casablanca, Morocco

  • Neuropediatrics Unit, Pediatrics 3, Children’s Hospital A. Harouchi, Casablanca, Morocco

  • Neuropediatrics Unit, Pediatrics 3, Children’s Hospital A. Harouchi, Casablanca, Morocco

  • Neuropediatrics Unit, Pediatrics 3, Children’s Hospital A. Harouchi, Casablanca, Morocco

  • Neuropediatrics Unit, Pediatrics 3, Children’s Hospital A. Harouchi, Casablanca, Morocco

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