Acquired Acrodermatitis Enteropathica in an Infant

A 3-month-old female infant with acquired Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE), a disorder of zinc metabolism leading to zinc deficiency, was successfully treated with zinc supplementation. AE can be congenital or acquired and is characterized by erythematous, scaly papules and plaques, which can become crusted and erosive, often accompanied by alopecia and diarrhea. The infant presented with these symptoms and responded to a treatment regimen of 3 mg/kg/d of oral zinc over three weeks. This case supports the use of zinc supplementation for AE, with careful dosing to avoid acute zinc toxicity symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.