Vitamins and Nutrition USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 4-month-old infant with exclusive bottle feeding presents with chronic diarrhea, poor weight gain, and alopecia. Physical examination reveals crusted erythematous dermatitis perioral and perianal. Vital signs show HR 118/min, RR 28/min, temperature 37.2°C. Serum albumin is 2.8 g/dL. The child has no respiratory distress or fever. Laboratory evaluation confirms an inherited defect in intestinal micronutrient absorption. Which micronutrient deficiency best explains this clinical presentation?
Answer choices
- ACopper
- BManganese
- CIron
- DZincCorrect answer
- ESelenium
- FMolybdenum
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