Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) is an inherited form of zinc deficiency caused by a defect in the absorption of zinc. Zinc is a very important micronutrient, a component of more than two-hundred metalloenzymes, and essential for the proper functioning of the various metabolic and biochemical pathways of the body. AE results from mutations in the zinc transporter gene SLC39A4 (solute carrier family 39 member A4), leading to improper enteral zinc absorption. AE was first described by Brandt in 1936 and later identified as a distinct disease by Danbolt and Closs. Zinc deficiency acquired secondary to malabsorption syndromes, liver or kidney disease, dietary habits, and iatrogenic causes also can present with clinical features simulating AE.
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