Sci Tech Daily Scurvy, a condition caused by vitamin C deficiency was first linked to sailors during the Renaissance era. Scurvy, a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency, may be making a comeback due to the rising cost of living and the increase in weight loss (bariatric) surgeries, according to doctors writing today (October 22) in BMJ Case Reports. This observation comes after they treated a middle-aged man who developed scurvy.
Although scurvy is easily treatable, it’s often overlooked because it’s seen as a disease of the past, historically linked to sailors during the Renaissance. This can lead to it being misdiagnosed as other conditions, such as vasculitis (inflammation of blood vessels), which could result in dangerous complications, including potentially fatal bleeding, if left untreated.
Symptoms of scurvy can start as soon as a month after consistently consuming less than 10 mg of vitamin C per day.
Diagnostic Challenges and Patient Symptoms
In this case, the doctors treated a man whose legs were covered with painful red-brown pinpoints that resembled a rash. He was also anemic and had blood in his urine.
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.