Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Identifying the Exception
Vitamin B12 deficiency primarily affects the nervous system and hematopoiesis. Understanding the common manifestations is key to identifying conditions that are exceptions.
Common Neurological and Ocular Effects of B12 Deficiency
Vitamin B12 is crucial for myelin sheath maintenance in the nervous system. Deficiency can lead to:
- Myelopathy: Often presenting as subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord.
- Peripheral neuropathy: Affecting nerves outside the brain and spinal cord.
- Optic atrophy: Damage to the optic nerve, potentially leading to vision loss.
Distinguishing Myopathy from Neurological Symptoms
Myopathy refers to a disease of the muscle itself. While severe neurological conditions caused by B12 deficiency (like extensive neuropathy) might indirectly lead to muscle weakness or secondary changes, myopathy is not typically listed as a direct or primary neurological or ophthalmological consequence of the deficiency itself. The other conditions listed (myelopathy, optic atrophy, peripheral neuropathy) are well-established neurological or related complications.
Therefore, myopathy is the condition listed that is least directly associated with Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Important Questions from Vitamin B Complex Deficiency
Consider the following statements regarding Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome :
1. It is a rare complication of chronic alcohol misuse characterised by opthalmoplegia, ataxia and delirium.
2. There is damage to the mammillary bodies and dorsomedial nuclei of thalamus.
3. The underlying cause is deficiency of Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin).
4. The syndrome can also arise due to malabsorption or protracted vomiting.
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
A 35 year old man with history of alcoholism presents with ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and global confusion. The treatment of choice for this patient is:
- The classical features of Wernicke's encephalopathy are the following except:
- Which one of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
- Who among the following do not participate in the election of the President of India?
