Acrodermatitis Enteropathica in the Pediatric Population: A Literature Review of Real-World Studies

June 2025 in “ Frontiers in Nutrition ”

Wanlin Cui, Ningning Wang, Mingyue Shi, Xuegang Xu, Hongkun Jiang

acrodermatitis enteropathica alopecia zinc deficiency zinc supplementation metabolic disorders zinc

TLDR Zinc effectively treats most children with acrodermatitis enteropathica, but underlying metabolic issues may require additional management.

Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) affects children and is marked by dermatitis, alopecia, and diarrhea, with zinc being an effective treatment. A review of 190 articles involving 231 pediatric patients found that 75.9% had zinc deficiency. Among 174 patients treated with zinc, 91.4% showed improvement, with 1-3 mg/kg/day being the most effective dosage. However, zinc supplementation was often ineffective in AE cases linked to metabolic disorders, highlighting the need to address underlying metabolic issues for optimal management. Comprehensive evaluation of pediatric patients is essential in treating AE.

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