Adolescents and young children could develop pellagra if exposed to a pellagragenic diet. Pellagra rarely occurs during infancy. Historically, the dermatitis of Kwashiorkor has been mistaken as infantile pellagra. Pellagra can be induced experimentally in 6-8 weeks with exposure to a pellagragenic diet. In endemic cases, pellagra tends to be seasonal and occurs during spring and early summer.
Early symptoms are nonspecific.
Patients express weakness, lassitude, and anorexia. Soon, classic symptoms of dermatitis, mental state disturbances, and GI involvement follow. Skin Affected skin lesions initially are erythematous and are associated with itching and a burning sensation. Blistering and vesiculation of affected skin may follow. As the dermatitis progresses, the affected skin becomes hyperpigmented and thickened.