Adult scurvy.

Scurvy was diagnosed in two elderly alcoholic men in our emergency department. Both were ambulatory and had perifollicular petechiae and ecchymoses of the lower extremities and hypertrophic erythematous gingival lesions. There diets were deficient in fresh fruits and vegetables. Treatment with oral ascorbic acid resulted in dramatic resolution of the signs and symptoms. The first patient was admitted to the hospital, where extensive diagnostic studies failed to reveal other etiological explanations for the cutaneous lesions. The second patient was successfully treated as an outpatient.