Korean J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr.  1999 Sep;2(2):240-244.

A Case of Acrodermatitis Enteropathica with Chronic Diarrhea and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation

• Lee JE
• Huh JH
• Choe BH

Abstract

Acrodermatitis enteropathica, an autosomal recessive disease, usually presents with severe acral and circumorificial dermatitis, diarrhea, alopecia, intercurrent bacterial infection during early infancy, and is eventually fatal if left untreated. We report a case of acrodermatitis enteropathica in a 2-month-old male infant who presented with chronic diarrhea not responsive to conventional therapy and developed disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). He showed the characteristic eczematoid skin lesions, chronic diarrhea, failure to thrive, and low serum zinc concenturation. Zn2+ was administered with dramatic improvement of skin lesions, DIC and diarrhea. He rapidly catched up normal growth and development on continuing zinc supplementation.

Keyword

Acrodermatitis enteropathica; Zinc; Chronic diarrhea; Disseminated intravascular coagulation

MeSH Terms

Acrodermatitis*
Alopecia
Bacterial Infections
Dacarbazine
Dermatitis
Diarrhea*
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation*
Failure to Thrive
Growth and Development
Humans
Infant
Male
Skin
Zinc
Dacarbazine
Zinc