Role of vitamin B12 deficiency in tropical `nutritional' neuromyelopathy

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Abstract
Serum vitamin estimations, gastric and intestinal function studies and biopsies were performed on 12 patients with tropical nutrition neuromyelopathy of obscure origin. Gastrointestinal symptoms were mild or absent in all these patients. In 8 of them vitamin B12 deficiency was found and they improved upon administration of the vitamin. The cause of the vitamin B12 deficiency was shown to be intestinal malab sorption of this vitamin. Although gastrointestinal symptoms were not observed in the patients, tests showed malabsorption of different substances in a pattern similar to tropical sprue. The importance of investigating the presence or absence of vitamin B12 and evaluating gastrointestinal absorption in patients with neuromyelopathy is indicated.