Chronic pain and vitamin B12 deficiency, a challenging and important differential diagnosis. Case report

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:The study's objective was to present a case of diffuse chronic pain with 36 months of development, associated with recurrent oral aphthous ulcers and glossitis, highlighting the importance of the wide differential diagnosis and the possibility of vitamin B12 deficiency as a cause. CASE REPORT: Male patient, 39 years-old, white, reported diffuse pain predominantly in the cervical, thoracic, abdominal, thighs and left knee regions, besides the presence of frequent oral aphtae, lasting more than 5 days, multiple and painful, predominantly on the tongue, for 6 months. The condition was attributed to Behçet's disease, but there was complete and permanent remission after treatment with vitamin B12. CONCLUSION: It's important to insert vitamin B12 deficiency for differential diagnosis in chronic pain scenarios.