Vol 2, No 1 (2011)
Case report
Published online: 2011-03-24

open access

Page views 1492
Article views/downloads 15179
Get Citation

Connect on Social Media

Connect on Social Media

Severe vitamin B12 deficiency of unknown origin in 10-months-old girl

Małgorzata Zubowska, Beata Zalewska-Szewczyk, Wanda Stengert, Katarzyna Mycko, Wojciech Młynarski
Hematologia 2011;2(1):92-97.

Abstract

Vitamin B12 is quite rare reason of macrocytic anemia in children. In severe cases it can lead to neurological and psychotic symptoms or trophic lesions of tongue and mucous membranes. The most common reasons of vitamin B12 deficiency are diet (vegetarians, and especially vegans), malabsorption (i.e. pernicious anemia, gastric resection, achlorhydria, Crohn’s disease, celiac disease, parasitic infections), congenital transcobalamin II deficiency or vitamin B12 metabolic disorders. Breast-feeding by mothers with vitamin B12 deficiency must be also considered as a reason of severe vitamin B12 deficiency in infants. We describe the case of 10-months-old child with severe vitamin B12 deficiency of unknown origin. We observed not only severe hematological problems (pancytopenia), but also neurological symptoms and heart failure. All the symptoms disappeared after compensation of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Hematologia 2011; 2, 1: 92–97

Article available in PDF format

View PDF (Polish) Download PDF file



Hematology in Clinical Practice