Pellagra

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Pellagra \Pel"la*gra\ (p[e^]l"l[.a]*gr[.a]), n. [It. pelle skin
     + agro rough.] (Med.)
     An affection of the skin, characterized by redness,
     especially in exposed areas, scaling and shedding of the
     skin, and accompanied with severe gastrointestinal
     disturbance and nervous symptoms. It is due to a deficiency


     of niacin (vitamin B3; nicotinic acid) and protein in the
     diet, and may be caused by malnutrition, or, in some cases,
     by a heavy dependence on maize for food. It was at one time
     (ca. 1890) endemic in Northern Italy, and was called {Alpine
     scurvy}. It may also be caused by alcoholism or diease
     causing an impairment of nutrition. It is also called {St.
     Ignatius's itch}, {maidism}, {mal de la rosa}, {mal rosso},
     and {psychoneurosis maidica}. A variety of pellagra seen in
     children is called {infantile pellagra} or {kwashiorkor}.
     --[Stedman]
     [1913 Webster +PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  pellagra
       n : a disease caused by deficiency of niacin or tryptophan (or
           by a defect in the metabolic conversion of tryptophan to
           niacin); characterized by gastrointestinal disturbances
           and erythema and nervous or mental disorders; may be
           caused by malnutrition or alcoholism or other nutritional
           impairments [syn: {Alpine scurvy}, {mal de la rosa}, {mal
           rosso}, {maidism}, {mayidism}, {Saint Ignatius' itch}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  25 Moby Thesaurus words for "pellagra":
     Lombardy leprosy, anemia, ariboflavinosis, beriberi, cachexia,
     chlorosis, deficiency anemia, dermatitis, goiter, greensickness,
     keratomalacia, kwashiorkor, maidism, malnutrition, night blindness,
     osteomalacia, osteoporosis, pernicious anemia, protein deficiency,
     rachitis, rickets, scurvy, struma, vitamin deficiency,
     xerophthalmia