Hypovitaminosis K (also known as vitamin K deficiency) is caused by a lack of vitamin K in the body.
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Clinical presentation
The main symptoms and signs are related to clotting dyscrasia as vitamin K is vital as a cofactor for the enzymatic activation of several key components of the clotting pathway, including the prothrombogenic proteins, prothrombin, factors VII, IX, and X, and the anticoagulant molecules, proteins C, S and Z.
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bleeding tendency
spontaneous hematomas
mucosal bleeding
hematochezia and melena
menorrhagia
More concerning, is the possible deleterious sequelae of chronic subclinical vitamin K deficiency as it becomes clear that vitamin K is important for processes in the body other than clotting:
increased fracture risk: vitamin K is required for osteocalcin, a key molecule in osteogenesis
increased risk of some cancers, e.g. HCC
may be increased vascular calcification, and thus myocardial ischemia
Pathology
Etiology
fat malabsorption
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chronic broad-spectrum antibiotics 3
in particular sulbactam/cefoperazone, cefamandole, cefmetazole, and cefotetan (antibiotics with an N-methyl-tetrazole-thiol side group)
dietary fat insufficiency
Treatment and prognosis
vitamin K supplementation produces a rapid resolution of the clotting dysfunction
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