title: Complete cure of urinary and faecal incontinence after intravenous vitamin B12 therapy in a patient with post-gastrectomy megaloblastic anaemia.
abstract: The case of a 59-year-old Japanese woman with post-gastrectomy megaloblastic anaemia having urinary and faecal incontinence and paraesthesia in four extremities is described. While the haematological abnormalities were improved by administration of a total dose of 17 mg of intramuscular mecobalamin, the neurological abnormalities remained unchanged. Five months later, a total dose of 7.5 mg of mecobalamin was injected intravenously over a period of 5 weeks, although the serum level of vitamin B12 was greater than 1180 pmol l-1. Immediately after initiation of the therapy, the urinary and faecal incontinence were gradually improved, and were completely cured within 2 months. The peripheral neuropathy was also ameliorated. The effectiveness of intravenous vitamin B12 injection for the neurological abnormalities due to vitamin B12 deficiency is emphasized.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Kusatsu Branch Hospital, Gunma University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kurabayashi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubota
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kawada
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shirakura
mesh_terms: D000749:Anemia, Megaloblastic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005242:Fecal Incontinence / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D005743:Gastrectomy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014549:Urinary Incontinence / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D014805:Vitamin B 12 / Q000008:administration & dosage*
chemical_list: D014805:Vitamin B 12