Question

A 34-year-old male was on maize as a staple diet for a prolonged period. He was presented with diarrhea and lesions over his neck as shown in the image below. The condition occurs due to deficiency of:

• A. Niacin
• B. Zinc
• C. Thiamine
• D. Iron

Hint:

Pellagra can be prevented and treated with niacin supplementation or a balanced diet with sufficient niacin intake, commonly found in meat, fish, and fortified cereals.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Niacin deficiency: The condition described is characteristic of pellagra, which occurs due to niacin (Vitamin B3) deficiency. Symptoms include diarrhea, dermatitis (often seen around the neck), and dementia, and it is commonly seen in populations with a maize-based diet lacking sufficient niacin.
Zinc deficiency: Zinc deficiency leads to issues like growth retardation, immune dysfunction, and delayed wound healing, but it does not match the symptoms described in this case.
Thiamine deficiency: Thiamine deficiency leads to conditions such as beriberi and Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome, which manifest with symptoms like weakness, neuropathy, and confusion, but not the specific symptoms of dermatitis and diarrhea.
Iron deficiency: Iron deficiency leads to anemia, fatigue, and pallor but does not cause the blistering and skin lesions described in the question. Thus, the correct answer is Niacin (1), as niacin deficiency leads to pellagra.