{
  "abstract": "Background/Objectives Scurvy, or vitamin C deficiency, is a rare diagnosis in modern societies. Apart from mucocutaneous, neurological involvement is not well described in the literature. The study presents a case series of patients with scurvy-related neuropathy.Method Three cases of scurvy-related neuropathy were retrospectively identified, and clinical documentation was analysed.Results Three patients – 34-year-old male, 68-year-old female, and 65-year-old female, presented with painful myeloradiculoneuropathy in context of malnutrition related to poor oral intake, excessive alcohol consumption, and/or smoking. Two patients exhibited additional non-neurological manifestations including atrophic glossitis, angular cheilitis, and mucocutaneous petechiae. Peripheral neuropathy screening bloods, MRI brain and spine, and lumbar puncture study were normal. Nerve conduction studies revealed sensory-dominant axonal degeneration polyneuropathy in two patients and sensorimotor demyelinating polyneuropathy in the third. A sural nerve biopsy performed in the first patient confirmed axonal and non-vasculitis degeneration neuropathy. Eventually, all patients were found to have significantly depleted vitamin C (<1, 1, and 7 µmol/L, n 20–120 µmol/L) and varying degrees of other micronutrient deficiencies, including vitamin A, vitamin B9, vitamin B12, and vitamin D. Interestingly, the first two patients also had elevated lead levels (0.29 and 1.61 µmol/L, n<0.24 µmol/) and vitamin B6 (194 and 331 nmol/L, n 40–170 nmol/L). All patients were treated with oral supplementation with response.Conclusion The case series highlights the importance of considering scurvy as one of the differentials of peripheral neuropathy, particularly in malnourished patients. A thorough nutritional history is essential for early recognition and timely treatment of this potentially reversible condition.",
  "authors": [
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Trung Dang Quoc Tran"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Abdul Shaik"
    },
    {
      "affiliations": [
        "Townsville University Hospital, Townsville, QLD, Australia"
      ],
      "name": "Ravindra Urkude"
    }
  ],
  "title": "3579 A case series of scurvy-related peripheral neuropathy in modern Australia",
  "uid": "e97ca920-c4a5-5727-b054-6dd9391f8761"
}