[Scurvy--a wrongly forgotten avitaminosis].

We treated a chronic alcoholic patient who showed all the symptoms of scurvy (petechiae, greyish skin colour, areas of thinning hair on the head, gingivitis, elevated liver enzyme levels, hyponatraemia, hypalbuminaemia and hypothyroidism) at admission. Even today, alcoholics and chronically ill people in particular can develop symptoms of diet-related vitamin C deficiency.