A New Cutaneous Manifestation in the Syndrome of Vitamin a Deficiency

Hypovitaminosis-A in a Family with Tylosis and Clinodactyly

“…The dietary type phrynoderma of Nicholls (1933)-takes the form of hyperkeratosis of the hair follicles, which become hard and protuberant. Such follicular hyperkeratosis due to vitamin-A deficiency is rare in Britain (Bicknell and Prescott, 1953), but is not uncommon in the African (Loewenthal, 1933). The reason for the low levels of serum vitamin A in tylosis is not known.…”

Cutaneous follicular hyperkeratotic spicules – the first clinical sign of multiple myeloma progression or relapse

“…This is the first reported case of cutaneous spicules occurring in an ethnic Chinese female with progressive multiple myeloma. Cutaneous spicules of varying pathogenesis have been reported under different nomenclature, common associations include chronic renal failure, 9,10 Crohn’s disease, 11 hypovitaminosis A, 12 HIV infection, 13 lymphoma, 14 and other malignancies 15–17…”

Pityriasis rubra pilaris

“…In the early 1930s, a follicular eruption attributed to vitamin A deficiency was described in Chinese patients by Frazier and Hu 39 , 40 . Loewenthal 41 reported a similar papular eruption in Ugandan prisoners diagnosed with vitamin A deficiency, and noted a histology identical to the papules of PRP. This finding led to speculation that PRP might result from a vitamin A deficiency and prompted early successful attempts at treatment with vitamin A; 42–44 however, patients with PRP frequently have normal serum vitamin A levels.…”