Petechiae, Purpura, and a Pandemic: A Recipe for Scurvy

Charles M Seifer; Alexander Glaser; Quinto Gesiotto; Roy Waknin; Kellee L Oller

doi:10.7759/cureus.10960

Petechiae, Purpura, and a Pandemic: A Recipe for Scurvy

Cureus. 2020 Oct 15;12(10):e10960. doi: 10.7759/cureus.10960.

Authors

Charles M Seifer¹, Alexander Glaser¹, Quinto Gesiotto¹, Roy Waknin¹, Kellee L Oller¹

Affiliation

¹ Internal Medicine, University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, Tampa, USA.

Abstract

This case report presents the case of a 28-year-old man who developed scurvy during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Scurvy is a disease resulting from a nutritional deficiency of vitamin C (ascorbic acid). It is a rare condition, whose signs and symptoms can vary from patient to patient. The treatment is vitamin C supplementation, which is often followed by a swift recovery. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of scurvy during the COVID-19 pandemic. This article highlights a rare acquired bleeding disorder, which may manifest more commonly during a pandemic due to food scarcity or stay-at-home mandates in those already at risk.

Keywords: ascorbic acid; bleeding; ecchymosis; petechiae; purpura; scurvy; vitamin c.

Publication types

Case Reports