Pellagra Quiz
Check your symptoms and
find possible causes with AI for free
Reviewed By:
Saqib Baig, MD, MS (Respiratory medicine, Critical Care, Internal medicine)
Dr. Baig graduated from Army Medical College (NUST) Pakistan in 2007. He did his internal medicine training from Baltimore, Maryland, USA during the years 2009-2013. He joined the internal medicine faculty practice at Medical College of Wisconsin in USA for 2 years before pursuing advanced training. He completed his pulmonary disease and critical care medicine fellowship from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School from 2015-2018. | | During his fellowship, Dr. Baig completed his master's in health care services management through Rutgers Business School. He currently serves as the medical director of respiratory therapy and pulmonary function lab and the clinical director of the COPD program at the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute at Thomas Jefferson University. He holds the Assistant Professor of Medicine rank at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Baig's interests lie in respiratory physiology, airways disease, and data science.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
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People with these symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
Discolored macules or moles on skin/mucus membranes
Constipation and diarrhea
Black, blue, or brown spots on the skin or elsewhere
Red rash
Black/blue/brown spots or moles, on the skin and lining of the mouth
Diarrhea throughout the whole day
Moles or spots of different colors on skin or lining of the mouth
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Learn more about Pellagra
Content updated on Sep 20, 2022
What is pellagra?
Pellagra is a systemic disease caused by a severe deficiency of vitamin B3 (Niacin). A mild deficiency might go unnoticed, but a chronically low or Niacin-free diet can result in symptoms. The primary symptoms include diarrhea, skin inflammation, inflammation of the mucous linings (inside the mouth), mental confusion, and weakness. If untreated, it can lead to death.
Symptoms of pellagra
Redness in sun-exposed areas of skin
Black/blue/brown spots or moles, on the skin and lining of the mouth
Diarrhea
Skin redness or red bumpy rashes
Questions your doctor may ask to check for pellagra
Your doctor may ask these questions to diagnose pellagra
Do you have redness on the sun-exposed areas of your skin?
Are there black, blue, or brown spots on the skin or elsewhere? (Including moles)
Do you have loose stools or diarrhea?
Do you have red skin or red spots on the skin?
Treatment for pellagra
Pellagra is treated with dietary changes and supplementation of niacin or nicotinamide (another form of vitamin B-3). These vitamins can be given orally or injected intravenously. With early treatment, many people fully recover and begin to feel better within a few days of starting treatment.
View the symptoms of Pellagra
Diseases related to Pellagra
References
Viljoen M, Bipath P, Tosh C. Pellagra in South Africa from 1897 to 2019: a scoping review. Public Health Nutr. 2021 Jun;24(8):2062-2076. doi: 10.1017/S1368980021001336. Epub 2021 Mar 26. PMID: 33769244.
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/pellagra-in-south-africa-from-1897-to-2019-a-scoping-review/5D2EC1BADFCB0360609534C552D232AF
PELLAGRA. JAMA. 2020 May 26;323(20):2100. doi: 10.1001/jama.2019.13455. PMID: 32453356.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2766404
Li P, Lou Y. The Pellagra Problem. JAMA. 2021 Aug 10;326(6):573. doi: 10.1001/jama.2020.18074. PMID: 34374730; PMCID: PMC8709778.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2782875
User testimonials
Reviewed By:
Saqib Baig, MD, MS (Respiratory medicine, Critical Care, Internal medicine)
Dr. Baig graduated from Army Medical College (NUST) Pakistan in 2007. He did his internal medicine training from Baltimore, Maryland, USA during the years 2009-2013. He joined the internal medicine faculty practice at Medical College of Wisconsin in USA for 2 years before pursuing advanced training. He completed his pulmonary disease and critical care medicine fellowship from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School from 2015-2018. | | During his fellowship, Dr. Baig completed his master's in health care services management through Rutgers Business School. He currently serves as the medical director of respiratory therapy and pulmonary function lab and the clinical director of the COPD program at the Jane and Leonard Korman Respiratory Institute at Thomas Jefferson University. He holds the Assistant Professor of Medicine rank at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Baig's interests lie in respiratory physiology, airways disease, and data science.
Yukiko Ueda, MD (Dermatology)
Dr. Ueda graduated from the Niigata University School of Medicine and trained at the University of Tokyo Medical School. She is currently a clinical assistant professor at the Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, and holds several posts in the dermatology departments at Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine, Komagome Hospital, University of Tokyo, and the Medical Center of Japan Red Cross Society.
Just 3 minutes.
Developed by doctors.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD
Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)
National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan