Abstract
Vitamin B12 deficiency is common in developing countries and should be suspected in patients with unexplained anaemia or neurological symptoms. Dermatological manifestations associated with this deficiency include skin hyper- or hypopigmentation, angular stomatitis and hair changes. We report a case of a 28-year-old man who presented to the Sultan Qaboos University Hospital in Muscat, Oman, in November 2013 with localised hyperpigmentation of the palmar and dorsal aspects of both hands of two months’ duration. Other symptoms included numbness of the hands, anorexia, weight loss, dizziness, fatigability and a sore mouth and tongue. There was no evidence of hypocortisolaemia and a literature search revealed a possible B12 deficiency. The patient had low serum B12 levels and megaloblastic anaemia. An intrinsic factor antibody test was negative. A gastric biopsy revealed chronic gastritis. After B12 supplementation, the patient’s symptoms resolved. Family physicians should familiarise themselves with atypical presentations of B12 deficiency. Many symptoms of this deficiency are reversible if detected and treated early.
Publication details
- DOI
- 10.18295/2075-0528.1716
- Journal
- Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 15(3), 420-423
- Publisher
- Sultan Qaboos University
- Open access
- Gold open access
- License
- CC BY-ND 4.0
Cite this article
APA 7
El-Shafie, K., Samir, N., Davidson, R., Robin, Al-Waili, A., Al-Mamary, M., & Al-Shafee, M. (2025). Localised Skin Hyperpigmentation as a Presenting Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Complicating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 15(3), 420-423. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1716
MLA 9
El-Shafie, Kawther, et al. "Localised Skin Hyperpigmentation as a Presenting Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Complicating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 15, no. 3, 2025, pp. 420-423. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1716.
Chicago (author–date)
El-Shafie, Kawther, Nafisa Samir, Ritu Davidson, Robin, Ahmed Al-Waili, Muna Al-Mamary, and Mohammed Al-Shafee. 2025. "Localised Skin Hyperpigmentation as a Presenting Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Complicating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis." Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal 15 (3): 420-423. https://doi.org/10.18295/2075-0528.1716.
Harvard
El-Shafie, K., Samir, N., Davidson, R., Robin, Al-Waili, A., Al-Mamary, M. and Al-Shafee, M. (2025) 'Localised Skin Hyperpigmentation as a Presenting Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Complicating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis', Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, 15(3), pp. 420-423. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.1716.
Vancouver
El-Shafie K, Samir N, Davidson R, Robin, Al-Waili A, Al-Mamary M, et al. Localised Skin Hyperpigmentation as a Presenting Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Complicating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis. Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal. 2025;15(3):420-423. doi:10.18295/2075-0528.1716
IEEE
K. El-Shafie, N. Samir, R. Davidson, Robin, A. Al-Waili, M. Al-Mamary, and M. Al-Shafee, "Localised Skin Hyperpigmentation as a Presenting Symptom of Vitamin B12 Deficiency Complicating Chronic Atrophic Gastritis," Sultan Qaboos University Medical Journal, vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 420-423, 2025, doi: 10.18295/2075-0528.1716.