Scurvy is a nutritional disease caused by deficiency of vitamin C. Pinpoint bleeding around hair follicles, and "corkscrew hairs" as seen in this picture, can occur as a result of scurvy. Bleeding along the gums is common. This disease rarely occurs in the United States.
Review Date:
1/18/2007
Reviewed By:
Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.