Scurvy in the Modern World: Extinct or Not?

Scurvy is a nutritional disorder caused by vitamin C deficiency. It was a notorious disease in the ancient world, especially among the sailors, and is of rare occurrence in contemporary, developed countries due to increased access and advancement in nutrition services. Scurvy primarily affects the skin and soft tissue, presenting with a myriad of clinical manifestations ranging from musculoskeletal to bleeding-related complaints and even sudden death in later stages.

Choroidal Metastasis as the Initial Presentation of Rectal Adenocarcinoma.

Unlabelled: Choroidal metastasis from rectal cancer is a rare occurrence with limited literature on appropriate evidence-based treatment options. We describe the case of 44-year-old man who presented with left-sided painful vision loss who was found to have left choroidal and multiple lung metastasis from an unknown primary which was later found to be rectal adenocarcinoma.

Learning Points: Ocular metastasis from colorectal cancer is rare with choroid being the most common site of involvement if it occurs.

Acquired Hyperzincaemia Due to Zinc-Laden Denture Adhesives Leading to Hypocupraemia as a Cause of Neutropenia.

Introduction: Copper deficiency or hypocupraemia is a rare cause of anaemia and neutropenia.

Case Description: We hereby present the case of a 34-year-old female with gastric bypass surgery who presented with neutropenic fever, abdominal pain and diarrhoea, later found to have extended-spectrum beta-lactamase resistant urinary tract infection and small bowel bacterial overgrowth syndrome, with her anaemia and neutropenia being caused by copper deficiency due to hyperzincaemia induced by using zinc denture adhesive cream.

Discussion: Various causes of copper deficiency have been recognized including, but not limited to, malnutrition, gastrectomy, gastric bypass surgery, protein-losing enteropathies (coeliac disease, tropical sprue), Wilson disease and Menkes syndrome.