Severe Macrocytic Anemia in a Young Alcoholic Male: A Case Report

Vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can lead to severe macrocytic anemia, apart from other consequences such as central and peripheral neurological symptoms. We report a case of a 23-year-old male presenting with severe pancytopenia, who was treated initially with red blood cell transfusions, intramuscular cyanocobalamin, and oral folate. The patient's laboratory parameters were normal after 50 days of therapy. During the investigation, alcohol use disorder (AUD) was identified and considered to be the cause of the vitamin deficiencies once other etiologies were excluded. While these vitamin deficiencies are more common among the elderly or malnourished populations, the high prevalence of AUD in young adults, mainly in men, remains an important cause and highlights the urgent need to be addressed both in individual cases and as part of public health measures.