Vitamin B3 deficiency - Symptoms, Causes, Images, and Treatment Options

Diseases

Highlights & Basics

Key Highlights

Vitamin B3 deficiency is traditionally caused by consuming a diet mainly composed of corn and maize.
Severe deficiency leads to pellagra, which is characterized by dermatitis, dementia, diarrhea, and eventually death.
Lean meat, poultry, fish, and peanuts are rich in vitamin B3 (niacin); milk and eggs are rich sources of tryptophan, the precursor of niacin.
Deficiency of vitamins B2 (riboflavin) and/or B6 (pyridoxine) reduces the synthesis of niacin from tryptophan and may lead to secondary vitamin B3 deficiency.
Rare in developed countries, although there are still outbreaks in Africa, India, and China, particularly in refugees and displaced people.

Typical dermatitis of pellagra on sun-exposed skin (extensor aspect of forearm and dorsum of hand) that is clearly demarcated from unexposed skin

From the collection of Demetre Labadarios

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Definition

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Etiology

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Images

Typical dermatitis of pellagra on sun-exposed skin (extensor aspect of forearm and dorsum of hand) that is clearly demarcated from unexposed skin
Typical dermatitis of pellagra on sun-exposed skin (face and anterior neck) that is clearly demarcated from unexposed skin
Typical dermatitis of pellagra on sun-exposed skin (posterior neck and ear helices) that is clearly demarcated from unexposed skin

Citations

Key Articles

Janice LR, Kelly M. Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process. 16th ed. St. Louis, MO: Elsevier; 2022.
Janos Z, John WS, Jesse FG III, et al. Handbook of vitamins. 5th ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 2013.
Sauberlich HE. Laboratory tests for the assessment of nutritional status. 2nd ed. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press; 1999:161-174.

Other Online Resources

NIH: Niacin - fact sheet for health professionals
US Department of Health and Human Services, US Department of Agriculture: Dietary guidelines for Americans 2020-2025

Referenced Articles

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