Scurvy is a disease caused by severe, prolonged vitamin C deficiency, and is historically associated with sailors who lacked fruit and vegetables at sea hundreds of years ago.
The Wellington boy was so weak from the disease he could barely stand or walk, a report in the NZ Medical Journal found.
The rare diagnosis led the doctors who treated him to urge their colleagues to check patients’ diet history for vitamin C deficiency, especially the elderly and autistic children who may eat a narrow range of foods.
The report said the boy had non-verbal autism spectrum disorder associated with restricted eating.
He was brought to an orthopaedic clinic after his parents noted significant discomfort.
Symptoms of scurvy include extreme fatigue, bleeding/swollen gums, bruising, joint pain, and corkscrew hairs. Treatment involves daily vitamin C supplementation, which usually reverses symptoms quickly.
Doctors carried out a physical examination, blood tests and an MRI examination. Eventually, they consulted paediatric rheumatology and infectious diseases teams about the boy’s condition.
Restricted diet
More tests found the boy had swollen, bleeding gums and a faint rash on his lower legs. Further blood tests focusing on nutritional deficiencies returned low vitamin C in the boy.
“A detailed history revealed a diagnosis of autism with avoidant/restricted food intake with a restricted diet consisting of solely chicken and biscuits – devoid of any vegetables or fruits,” the report says.
“A presumed diagnosis of scurvy was made secondary to this restricted diet.”
Scurvy is often thought of as a historical disease, particularly in the 15th to 18th centuries. It was predominantly associated with sailors who spent long periods at sea without fresh fruit and veges.
-Allied Media
