Pellagra

Lot. pela agra – scaly skin. Pellagra, caused by a deficiency of niacin (vitamin B3), also known as vitamin PP deficiency, leads to several systemic symptoms. The name ‘pellagra’ comes from the Italian words ‘pelle agra’ meaning rough skin, reflecting one of its primary symptoms:

1. Skin – inflammatory skin lesions (dermatitis) occur, usually symmetrical, affecting mainly the areas exposed to the sun: face, neck, hands (photodermatitis). When there is a lack of vitamin PP, oxidation processes in cells are disrupted, leading to a lack of energy supply and normal division of rapidly renewing tissues (e.g., skin, mucous membranes, etc. cells).

2. Digestive tract; loss of appetite, nausea, stomach pain, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the colon, diarrhea.

3. Nervous system: headaches, dizziness, increased sensitivity, onset of depression, psychosis, hallucinations, impaired memory and thinking, etc. Peripheral nerves are affected, nerve inflammations (neuritis) occur. Dementia is possible.

First signs of vitamin PP deficiency include inflammation of the tongue and mucous membranes, similar to inflammation when there is a lack of riboflavin. Pellagra is rare in Europe because vitamin PP is quite common in food products (see Vitamins).

Source | Glossary of Most Commonly Used Biomedical Terms and Concepts | Lithuanian University of Health Sciences | Academician Professor Antanas Praškevičius, Professor Laima Ivanovienė