Transient symptomatic zinc deficiency resembling acrodermatitis enteropathica in a breast-fed premature infant: case report and brief review of the literature.
Transient symptomatic zinc deficiency is a rare disorder clinically indistinguishable from acrodermatitis enteropathica characterized by periorificial and acral dermatitis that usually occurs in exclusively breast-fed infant especially if preterm. We describe a three-month-old breast-fed preterm boy who developed the typical skin lesions. Maternal breast milk zinc was lower than the levels from other 2 mothers of infants at the same gestational age. The disease improved and serum zinc level became normal with oral supplementation of zinc. No recurrence of the dermatosis was observed when the treatment was stopped after weaning.
Dermatology Unit, Department of Medicine University of Padua, Padua, Italy - belloni@pediatria.unipd.it.
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Zattra
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Belloni Fortina
D000169:Acrodermatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D001942:Breast Feeding; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006130:Growth Disorders; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007234:Infant, Premature; D019102:Infant, Very Low Birth Weight; D008297:Male; D008664:Metal Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008895:Milk, Human / Q000737:chemistry; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D015032:Zinc / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014131:Trace Elements; D015032:Zinc