Diverticula of the small intestine are sac-like herniations of the lining of the small intestine through weak points in the intestinal wall. Diverticula of the ileum and the jejunum, the last two sections in the small intestine, are the diverticula associated with vitamin B12 deficiencies.
Incidence of Diverticula
In the November 2008 issue of "Radiology Cases," Dr. Alex Mortimer and colleagues at the British Royal Infirmary reported that radiological analysis has shown an incidence of small intestinal diverticula of 2.3 percent in the United States, whereas the incidence of diverticulitis of the ileum and jejunum in the general population, based on autopsies, is approximately 1.3 percent in the United Kingdom.
Incidence of Symptoms of Vitamin B12 Deficiency
In a small study, W. T. Cooke and colleagues looked at the incidence of symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency in 33 patients with diagnosed jejunal diverticula and found problems with Vitamin B12 absorption in 16 of these patients, with an additional 12 patients exhibiting neuropathy, which is another symptom of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Vitamin B12 Deficiency Symptoms
The most common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency are anemia, either pernicious anemia or megaloblastic anemia, the family to which pernicious anemia belongs. In both cases, there is a shortage of red blood cells that are capable of carrying oxygen to the cells of the body. In megaloblastic anemia, there is an excess of megaloblasts, or immature red blood cells that cannot carry oxygen.
Vitamin B12 and Neuropathy
Neuropathy, or nerve pain of otherwise undisclosed origin, is also associated with vitamin B12 deficiency. Twelve patients in the Cooke study exhibited neurological symptoms, including neuropathic pain, foot drop and general neurological disability. Mental confusion and irritability are also symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency.
Treatment
When vitamin B12 deficiency is caused by the body's inability to absorb vitamin B12, as is the case with diverticula of the small intestine, the only treatment is intravenous, intramuscular, or subcutaneous injections of vitamin B12. Injected vitamin B12 is not subject to the body's inability to absorb vitamin B12 due to defects in the intestinal tract.
References
- MedlinePlus: Anemia-B12 Deficiency
- "Radiology Cases"; Jejunal diverticulitis: an unusual cause of an intra-abdominal abscess - coronal Computed Tomography reconstruction can aid the diagnosis; Mortimer, et al.; November 2008.
- "Gut"; The clinical and metabolic significance of jejunal diverticula; W. T. Cooke et al.; June 1963.
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