Patel Aagna, Chabot Francis, Hamid Osman
Department of Medicine, Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine, Erie, USA.
Department of Family Medicine, Mohawk Valley Health System, Utica, USA.
Cureus. 2023 Aug 24;15(8):e44017. doi: 10.7759/cureus.44017. eCollection 2023 Aug.
Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency is a commonly seen nutritional deficiency that presents with a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms. In this report, we describe a case of a 49-year-old female patient who presented to the emergency department with sudden onset of a syncopal-like episode, generalized weakness, and severe pancytopenia, who was subsequently diagnosed with vitamin B12 deficiency upon admission. The patient underwent a thorough evaluation to exclude alternative etiologies for her presentation. Her clinical symptoms and blood count significantly improved after six days of treatment with vitamin B12 supplementation. While vitamin B12 deficiency is a commonly recognized issue, healthcare providers should be aware of its infrequent presentations. Our case serves as a reminder to clinicians to remain vigilant for acute onset manifestations and consider vitamin B12 deficiency as a differential diagnosis for the early management of pancytopenia.
维生素B12（钴胺素）缺乏是一种常见的营养缺乏症，临床表现广泛。在本报告中，我们描述了一例49岁女性患者，她因突然出现类似晕厥的发作、全身无力和严重全血细胞减少症而就诊于急诊科，入院后被诊断为维生素B12缺乏。对该患者进行了全面评估以排除导致其症状的其他病因。补充维生素B12治疗六天后，她的临床症状和血细胞计数显著改善。虽然维生素B12缺乏是一个公认的问题，但医疗保健提供者应意识到其不常见的表现形式。我们的病例提醒临床医生对急性发作的表现保持警惕，并在全血细胞减少症的早期管理中将维生素B12缺乏作为鉴别诊断。
