Bachelor scurvy.

Scurvy occurred in an elderly man with fatigue, dyspnea on exertion, and extensive ecchymoses and brawny edema of the legs. Platelet count, prothrombin time, and partial thromboplastin time were normal, but serum ascorbic acid level was very low. Other signs considered to be classic and almost pathognomonic for were absent: bleeding gums, hyperkeratotic follicles, coiled hairs, and perifollicular hemorrhages. Reliance on these well-known features of scurvy may obscure or delay diagnosis of an easily cured disorder Severe scurvy is most commonly suggested by tenderness, extensive ecchymoses, and brawny edema of the lower extremities.