What is the Difference Between Scurvy and Pellagra

The key difference between scurvy and pellagra is that scurvy is a disease caused due to vitamin C deficiency, while pellagra is a disease caused due to vitamin B3 deficiency.

Vitamins are important microelements. Their deficiencies lead to different diseases such as night blindness, beriberi, ariboflavinosis, pellagra, paresthesia, megaloblastic anemia, dermatitis, scurvy, rickets, less fertility, non-clotting of blood, etc. Scurvy and pellagra are two diseases due to deficiencies in vitamins.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Scurvy  
3. What is Pellagra
4. Similarities – Scurvy and Pellagra
5. Scurvy vs Pellagra in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Scurvy and Pellagra

What is Scurvy?

Scurvy is a disease that is caused by an insufficient intake of vitamin C. This condition leads to livid spots on the skin, spongy gums, loosening of teeth, and bleeding into the skin. Vitamin C is a very important microelement responsible for the development, growth, and healing of the skin, bones, and connective tissues. People also need vitamin C for blood vessel function, maintaining teeth and gums, absorbing iron, and healing burns and other wounds. Moreover, vitamin C is an antioxidant that protects biological cells from free radicals. The symptoms of scurvy may include anemia, swollen or bleeding gums, haemorrhages, easily bruised, rough, scaly skin, swollen legs, opening of previously healed wounds and new wounds, dry, brittle hair, irritability, pain when moving, no appetite, and failure to gain weight.

The risk factors for this condition include not having access to fresh fruits or vegetables, eating very little due to medical treatments like chemotherapy, smoking, alcohol dependency, having a poor diet due to pregnancy, having a restrictive diet due to food allergies, and other health conditions (type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease).

Scurvy is diagnosed through physical examination and blood tests. Furthermore, scurvy can be treated by consuming more vitamin C and taking vitamin C supplements 500 mg and 1000 mg daily.

What is Pellagra?

Pellagra is a disease that is caused by vitamin B3 deficiency (niacin). This condition usually presents with skin lesions and mental confusion. People need niacin to convert food calories into energy. Niacin is absorbed through the small intestine into body tissues. Then it is converted to a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD). This coenzyme works together with enzymes to catalyze chemical reactions. The symptoms of pellagra may include chronic diarrhoea, abdominal pain, indigestion, loss of appetite, itchy or painful skin rashes, mouth sores, fatigue, mood changes, neurological problems such as tremors or numbness, delirium, and dementia. The risk factors for pellagra are poor diet, alcohol use disorder, malnutrition and homelessness, Crohn’s disease, hartnup disease, dialysis, certain drugs (isoniazid for tuberculosis), and carcinoid syndrome.

Moreover, pellagra is diagnosed through medical history and diet, physical examination, and blood tests. Furthermore, pellagra can be treated by consuming a diet rich in niacin and taking high doses (14 to 16mg) of niacin for 5 days.

What are the Similarities Between Scurvy and Pellagra?

• Scurvy and pellagra are two diseases due to deficiencies of vitamins.
• Both these diseases can cause severe symptoms.
• These diseases have risk factors.
• Both these diseases can be diagnosed through physical examination and clinical evaluation.
• They are treated by consuming vitamin-rich diets and supplementation.

What is the Difference Between Scurvy and Pellagra?

Scurvy is a disease that is caused due to vitamin C deficiency, while pellagra is a disease that is caused due to vitamin B3 deficiency. Thus, this is the key difference between scurvy and pellagra. Furthermore, the risk factors for scurvy include not having access to fresh fruits or vegetables, eating very little due to medical treatments like chemotherapy,  smoking, alcohol dependency, having a poor diet due to pregnancy, having a restrictive diet due to food allergies and other health conditions (type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease). On the other hand, the risk factors for pellagra include a poor diet, alcohol use disorder, malnutrition and homelessness, Crohn’s disease, hartnup disease, dialysis, certain drugs (isoniazid for tuberculosis), and carcinoid syndrome.

The below infographic presents the differences between scurvy and pellagra in tabular form for side by side comparison.

Summary – Scurvy vs Pellagra

Vitamin deficiencies are very rare as they are microelements. Vitamin deficiencies can happen due to poor diet and feeding. Scurvy is a disease that is caused due to vitamin C deficiency, while pellagra is a disease that is caused due to vitamin B3 deficiency. So, this summarizes the difference between scurvy and pellagra.

Reference:

1. “Scurvy: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment.” Cleveland Clinic.
2. “Pellagra.” DermNet.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Leg of a patient with scorbutus (scurvy), 1887 Wellcome L0062031” By Welcome Image Gallery (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Pellagra3” By Herbert L. Fred, MD; Hendrik A. van Dijk – book: Images of Memorable Cases – 50 years at the bedside ISBN 978-0-89263-000-4 (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia