Vitamin E deficiency

Signs and symptoms

• Neuromuscular problems – such as spinocerebellar ataxia and myopathies.
• Neurological problems – may include dysarthria, absence of deep tendon reflexes, loss of the ability to sense vibration and detect where body parts are in three dimensional space, and positive Babinski sign.
• Hemolytic anemia – due to oxidative damage to red blood cells
• Retinopathy
• Impairment of the immune response

  Causes

• Premature, very low birth weight infants – birth weights less than 1500 grams.
• Rare disorders of fat metabolism – There is a rare genetic condition termed isolated vitamin E deficiency or 'ataxia with isolated with vitamin E deficiency', caused by mutations in the gene for the tocopherol transfer protein. These individuals have an extremely poor capacity to absorb vitamin E and develop neurological complications that are reversed by high doses of vitamin E.
• Fat malabsorption – Some dietary fat is needed for the absorption of vitamin E from the gastrointestinal tract. Anyone diagnosed with cystic fibrosis, individuals who have had part or all of their stomach removed or who have had a gastric bypass, and individuals with malabsorptive problems such as Crohn's disease, liver disease or exocrine pancreatic insufficiency may not absorb fat. Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare inherited disorder of fat metabolism that results in poor absorption of dietary fat and vitamin E. The vitamin E deficiency associated with this disease causes problems such as poor transmission of nerve impulses and muscle weakness.

  Diagnosis

Treatment