A Case of Acrodermatitis Enteropathica with Normal Serum Zinc Level in a Breastfed Preterm Infant.

Baek,  Jung Hyun; Park,  Chul; Park,  Kyu Hee; Lee,  Jung Hwa; Hong,  Young Sook; Lee,  Joo Won; Baek,  Yoo Sang; Song,  Hae Jun; Lee,  Jang Hoon

doi:2011.18.2.383

Neonatal Med > Volume 18(2); 2011 > Article

Case Report

Journal of the Korean Society of Neonatology 2011;18(2):383-386.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5385/jksn.2011.18.2.383 Published online November 25, 2011.

A Case of Acrodermatitis Enteropathica with Normal Serum Zinc Level in a Breastfed Preterm Infant.

Jung Hyun Baek, Chul Park, Kyu Hee Park, Jung Hwa Lee, Young Sook Hong, Joo Won Lee, Yoo Sang Baek, Hae Jun Song, Jang Hoon Lee

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea. leejmd@chol.com
²Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Korea University, Seoul, Korea.
³Department of Pediatrics, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.

Abstract

Acrodermatitis enteropathica due to zinc deficiency is characterized by periorificial dermatitis, alopecia, and intractable diarrhea. Here we report a case of transient acrodermatitis enteropathica in a 2-month-old preterm infant, whose skin is erythematous, scaly, eczematous, with an eruption starting from the periorificial area. While her serum zinc level was normal at 118.2 ug/dL, the serum alkaline phosphatase level was low at 48 IU/L and the serum alkaline phosphatase level get increased concordant with clinical improvement after zinc supplementation. Hence, this case shows that the diagnosis of zinc deficiency can be aided with a low level of serum alkaline phoaphatase although serum zinc level is normal.

Key Words: Acrodermatitis enteropathica; Alkaline phosphatase; Zinc deficiency; Periorificial dermatitis