A 75-year-old patient has a sore tongue with tingling and numbness of the hands and feet. She has headaches and is fatigued. Following diagnostic workup, the doctor orders monthly injections of vitamin B12. This patient mostly likely has which of the following conditions?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The symptoms described are indicative of pernicious anemia, which is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12 secondary to impaired absorption due to lack of intrinsic factor in the stomach. Monthly injections of vitamin B12 are the standard treatment for this condition. Aplastic anemia, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, and sickle cell anemia have different underlying pathophysiologies and do not present with the same symptoms as pernicious anemia.

A 75-Year-Old Patient Has a Sore Tongue with Tingling and Numbness