Alcoholic with Niacin Deficiency: A Case Study

Abstract

The present case study demonstrates the alcoholic with niacin deficiency. Niacin deficiency can occur through genetic disorders, malabsorptive conditions, and interaction with certain medications. Alcohol use disorder is associated with increased malnutrition and can impair the conversion of tryptophan to niacin. A 45 year old male truck driver by occupation chronic alcoholic, normotensive, non-diabetic, with hyper pigmented dermatological lesions on dorsum of hands, neck, scalp labeled as psoriasis with topical treatment was brought to emergency casualty with fever for 15 days. Patient was managed as a case of febrile neutropenia without much improvement and his striking dermatological lesions and history of alcoholism warranted his management as pellagra.