Pernicious Anemia Due to Dietary Deficiency of Vitamin B12

Abstract

PERNICIOUS anemia is a deficiency state resulting from a lack of vitamin B_i2. This lack usually occurs as a result of an inability to absorb the vitamin from the intestinal tract because of the absence of a specific factor, present in normal gastric juice, known as the intrinsic factor of Castle.^{1 , 2} An optimal, well balanced diet contains 8 to 15 microgm. of vitamin B₁₂ per day.^{3 , 4} A daily parenteral dose of 1 microgm. induces and maintains a complete remission in patients with pernicious anemia.^{5 , 6} It thus appears probable that only a small fraction of the normal dietary . . .