RHEUMATIC MANIFESTATIONS OF SCURVY - A REPORT OF 2 CASES

Bleeding into the muscles and joints can be the presenting manifestati on of scurvy, as illustrated by two case-reports, One patient presente d with hemarthrosis of the tibiotalar joint due to an insufficiency fr acture and was suspected to have scurvy based on the presence of purpu ra and hypertrophy of the gums with loss of teeth. In the other patien t, multiple hematomas in time lower limbs were found at presentation a nd the presence of coiled hairs suggested the diagnosis, Both patients had completely eliminated fruit and vegetables from their diet, Low l evels of ascorbic acid were found in serum and urine, A full recovery was achieved in both cases under ascorbic acid supplementation.