Human Essential Fatty Acid Deficiency

A 19-year-old man developed an essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency due to a long-term fat-free intravenous diet. This deficiency was successfully treated within 21 days through the daily topical application of linoleic acid. The treatment normalized the ratio of eicosatrienoic acid to eicosatetraenoic acid in the skin and serum, leading to clinical improvement. The patient's symptoms, including scalp dermatitis, alopecia, and hair depigmentation, were reversed with continued use of safflower oil, which is rich in linoleic acid.