Vitamin C Testing May Be Worth Considering In BDUC- RPTH Journal
RPTH Journal shared a post on LinkedIn about a recent article by Florian Winkler et al., published in RPTH Journal, adding:
“Bruising, anaemia, and skin changes:could the answer be as simple as vitamin C deficency?
When a patient presents with bleeding symptoms but all haemostatic tests come back normal, the label ‘bleeding disorder of unknown cause’ (BDUC) is often applied.
But could a nutritional deficiency be hiding in plain sight?
A new case report in RPTH Journal describes a 26-year-old man presenting with extensive ecchymoses, anaemia, and sclerodermatous skin changes of the left leg, with entirely normal haemostatic workup.
Key details:
- Nutritional history revealed markedly restricted eating habits
- Severe vitamin C deficiency was identified as the underlying cause
- Vitamin C supplementation led to normalisation of haemoglobin and marked improvement of skin changes
- No haematologic or dermatologic treatment was required
This case is a timely reminder that not all bleeding disorders are haematologic in origin, and that a simple nutritional deficiency can convincingly mimic both haematologic and dermatologic conditions.
In selected BDUC patients, vitamin C testing may be worth considering.”
Title: Unexplained bleeding tendency and scleroderma-like skin changes: a diagnostic journey to vitamin C deficiency
Authors: Florian Winkler, Peter Maximilian Heil, Johannes Thaler, Wolfgang R. Sperr, Cihan Ay, Johanna Strobl, Johanna Gebhart, Dino Mehic
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