Acrodermatitis enteropathica from zinc-deficient total parenteral nutrition.

Acrodermatitis enteropathica (AE) is a rare autosomal-recessive disorder of zinc malabsorption, characterized by acral and periorificial dermatitis, alopecia, and diarrhea. Acquired AE is the result of decreased zinc intake, excessive zinc loss, or other malabsorptive processes. We present a case of a 54-year-old woman who developed characteristic skin lesions of acquired AE after zinc supplementation was removed from her total parenteral nutrition (TPN) solution. She was found to have hypozincemia and eventually exhibited prompt resolution of skin lesions after zinc was added to TPN. This case provides a unique opportunity to illustrate the direct correlation between decreased zinc intake and development of acquired AE.