JOURNAL OF CLINICAL AND BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES

Article

The Guard, His Gauntlet and Goblet- An Atypical Presentation of Pellagra in a Chronic Alcoholic
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Journal of Clinical and Biomedical Sciences

DOI: 10.58739/jcbs/v13i3.23.56

Year: 2023, Volume: 13, Issue: 3, Pages: 94-96

Case Report

The Guard, His Gauntlet and Goblet- An Atypical Presentation of Pellagra in a Chronic Alcoholic

Rahimulla Afra Shaz1, Shri Shilpa2, Reddy M Mohan3*

1Junior Resident, Department of Psychiatry, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education & Research, Tamaka, Kolar, 563101, Karnataka, India
2Consultant Psychiatrist, Department of Psychiatry, Sri Narasimha Raja District Hospital, Kolar, 563101, Karnataka, India
3Professor & HoD, Department of Psychiatry, Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College, Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education & Research, Tamaka, Kolar, 563101, Karnataka, India

*Corresponding Author
Email: [email protected]

Received Date:12 September 2023, Accepted Date:21 September 2023, Published Date:16 October 2023

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Alcoholism a chronic condition affects multiple organ systems including skin. Dermatological markers of alcohol abuse are invaluable. Despite this, association of skin diseases and alcohol misuse maybe overlooked or physicians fail to explore. Pellagra is a multifactorial disease caused by Niacin/Tryptophan deficiency. It exhibits photodermatitis, gastrointestinal and neuropsychiatric manifestations. Chronic alcoholics are at risk. Considering pellagra as differential diagnosis in chronic alcoholics with these symptoms is crucial. This disease is easily treatable but if missed proves fatal. Hence, its recognition is important in other clinical settings for comprehensive treatment. The pathognomonic presentation of Pellagra is the Casal necklace, but here we present a case of 34year old alcoholic with an atypical presentation of Pellagra. Chronic alcoholics need evaluation for Pellagra amongst other nutritional deficiencies which due to diverse presentation can be missed. Early diagnosis and treatment can avoid impending neuropsychiatric complications. Due to participation of numerous disciplines consultation liaison psychiatry is vital here.

Keywords: Alcohol dependence, Alcohol cutaneous manifestations, Pellagra, Niacin deficiency, Alcohol biomarkers

References

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Copyright

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Published By Sri Devaraj Urs Academy of Higher Education, Kolar, Karnataka

  • 16 October 2023

Year: 2023, Volume: 13, Issue: 3

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