Scurvy in a Patient with Crohn's Disease: A Case Report

Crohn's disease is a chronic autoimmune bowel disease that typically causes inflammation of the lining or wall of the small and large intestines as well as the entire gastrointestinal tract. Patients diagnosed with Crohn's disease can develop oral ulcers, which are also a symptom of vitamin C deficiency, also known as scurvy. Patients with Crohn's disease are prone to experiencing nutritional deficiencies, including vitamin C deficiency due to malabsorption.

In this case report, we describe a very interesting presentation of scurvy in the presence of extensive oral Crohn's ulcers. The patient presented to the clinic reporting bleeding gums and painful mouth sores. An extensive workup revealed high inflammatory levels and low vitamin C levels. The patient received vitamin C infusions with improvement in symptoms. However, further workup, including a capsule endoscopy and oral biopsies, revealed Crohn's disease.

There have been limited reports regarding the concurrence of both scurvy and Crohn's disease. With oral ulcerations being a characteristic of both conditions, diagnosing Crohn's disease in the setting of Vitamin C deficiency may be challenging.