Cutaneous changes in nutritional diseases

Abstract

Nutritional deficiencies can be exogenous or endogenous. The primary exogenous reason is insufficient intake of nutrients. Endogenous etiologies include intestinal or metabolic disease that interferes with the absorption and delivery of nutrients to the cellular machinery (e.g., intestinal malabsorption, gastrointestinal and metabolic disease, infections, cancer) (Table 1.1). With prolonged nutritional deficiencies, energy storage is exhausted and energy supply lags behind. Because of their increased nutritional needs during the growth phase, children ≤ 5-years old are particularly susceptible to the developmental and physiologic consequences of poor nutrition. © 2011 Springer- Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.