Acquired Zinc Deficiency Dermatosis in Humans

The document reported two cases of acquired zinc deficiency, one due to alcoholism with liver cirrhosis and pancreatitis, and the other following a small intestine bypass operation for obesity. Both patients exhibited skin symptoms such as hair loss, acrodermatitis, and widespread eczema craquelé, which resolved with zinc supplementation. The study highlighted the characteristic dermatologic manifestations of zinc deficiency, including vesicopustular eruptions, erythema, bullae, thin and lusterless hair, and nail dystrophy. It emphasized the importance of recognizing zinc deficiency in patients with similar symptoms, especially those with conditions impairing zinc absorption or increasing zinc loss, and suggested that some cases of acrodermatitis enteropathica might be conditional zinc deficiencies related to other primary diseases.