Common Misdiagnoses of Pellagra

Pellagra is a lack of vitamin B3 (niacin) in the body or the body's inability to process the vitamin. Niacin is essential for cellular health and its deficiency can lead to complications. Pellagra usually occurs in people with poor diets or to those in poverty stricken places where poor nutrition is the norm. Pellagra can also be the side effect of certain medications. The inability to absorb niacin is called secondary pellagra which may result from a number of conditions including ulcerative colitis, liver cirrhosis, excessive diarrhea, carcinoid tumors and chronic alcoholism.

Those with pellagra may exhibit certain symptoms that include apathy, headache, itching, scaly skin sores, inflamed mucus membranes, mental confusion, delusions and diarrhea. Because niacin is a water soluble vitamin, it is not stored in the body and it must be ingested everyday to maintain a sufficient amount. The vitamin is vital to the body's metabolism, growth, development, hormone synthesis, digestive tract as well as the brain and nervous system. Therefore pellagra is a serious condition that must be treated accordingly. If left untreated, the condition can lead to a coma and even death.

Diagnoses of Pellagra

Diagnosis of pellagra involves niacin deficiency testing which measures levels of niacin in the body's system. Additionally, tests may be performed to determine any underlying condition that may be causing the pellagra. For example, blood liver function tests are performed to determine whether the condition arises from liver cirrhosis. Imagining tests such as CT and MRI scans may also be required.

Treatment for pellagra may include a diet change to niacin-rich foods. Niacin is found in foods such as whole grains, meats, fish as well as in fortified grains and cereal. Supplements may be suggested; however, high doses of niacin may prove toxic to people with asthma, diabetes, gout, liver disease, ulcers or those who take hypersensitive medications.

Common Misdiagnoses of Pellagra

Because the symptoms pointing to pellagra may be vague, it is possible for them to be missed or to be misdiagnosed as some other condition such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, diabetic diarrhea or hyperpigmentation. Certain symptoms like mental confusion might be erroneously attributed to the normal process of aging.

As previously noted, a misdiagnosis of pellagra can be catastrophic if there is something more virulent going on in the body such as cancer or a failing liver.

Talk with an Attorney

If your pellagra was not timely or properly diagnosed and your condition has worsened or an underlying disease went untreated as a result, you may have a cause of action for medical malpractice. You should be able to recover damages that include the extra medical costs arising from the malpractice, wages lost because of time off from work, and the costs of undue pain and suffering. Talk with an experienced medical malpractice attorney to discuss your case.