Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Pellagra in 2 homeless men.

S G Kertesz1

  • 1Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Mass, USA. skertesz@bu.edu

Mayo Clinic Proceedings
|March 13, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Pellagra, a fatal nutritional disease, presents diverse symptoms making diagnosis challenging. Early niacin therapy and dietary changes resolved cases in homeless individuals, highlighting key risk factors.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Cardiometabolic Risk Improvement in Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty: A 1-Year Real World Study.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2026
Same journal

69-Year-Old Woman With Subacute Low Back Pain.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2026
Same journal

55-Year-Old Woman With Recurrent Intractable Nausea and Vomiting.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2026
Same journal

Implementing the 2026 CKM Guideline into Clinical Practice.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2026
Same journal

52-Year-Old Woman Presenting With Pain and Worsened Erythema Around Port Site.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2026
Same journal

Embedding Ethics Into Decision-Making Capacity Assessment:An EHR-Enabled Systemwide Approach.

Mayo Clinic proceedings·2026

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Science
  • Clinical Medicine
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Pellagra is a serious nutritional deficiency disease with varied symptoms affecting skin, digestion, and the nervous system.
  • Diagnosis can be difficult due to the wide range of manifestations and requires a high index of suspicion.
  • Untreated pellagra is invariably fatal.

Observation:

  • Two cases of pellagra in homeless individuals are presented.
  • Clinical diagnosis was confirmed after excluding other potential conditions.
  • Symptoms resolved following niacin supplementation and dietary modifications.

Findings:

  • Socioeconomic and behavioral factors, including homelessness, alcohol abuse, and irregular eating, are critical risk factors for pellagra.
  • Failure to utilize available meal programs increases risk in vulnerable populations.
  • A high index of suspicion is necessary for timely diagnosis.

Implications:

  • Identifying individuals with a combination of risk factors is crucial for early pellagra detection.
  • Public health initiatives should address nutritional deficiencies in at-risk homeless populations.
  • Awareness of pellagra's diverse presentation is vital for clinicians in contemporary settings.

Related Experiment Videos