By Disease Name > Acrodermatitis Enteropathica

Acrodermatitis Enteropathica

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•autosomal recessive:  inability to absorb sufficient amounts of zinc from the diet; generally affects infants and children
•acquired forms:  patients with malabsorption or abnormal excretion of zinc; malnutrition or inadequate hyperalimentation
•classic ddx = necrolytic migratory erythema

 

mnemonic :four d’s of AE – diarrhea, dermatitis (acral and peri-orificial) , diffuse alopecia, depression

(vs. three d's of pellagra - diarrhea, dermatitis (photo-distributed) , dementia)

 

mnemonic:  all three disorders of metal metabolism are autosomal recessive (zinc, copper, iron)

 

pearl:  alkaline phosphatase is a zinc-dependent enzyme and will give you a faster answer from lab  (low alkaline phosphatase) vs. waiting for zinc levels