Skip to main content
Medicine LibreTexts

10.4B: Riboflavin Deficiency and Toxicity

  • Page ID
    1534
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Ariboflavinosis, riboflavin deficiency, is a rare condition that often occurs with other nutrient deficiencies. The symptoms of this condition are shown in the figure below.

    Figure 10.421.png

    Figure 10.421 The symptoms of riboflavin deficiency1

    The most notable symptoms include angular stomatitis (aka angular cheilitis, like cheilosis), which is a lesion that forms at the corners of the mouth as shown below.

    Figure 10.422.png

    Figure 10.422 Angular Cheilitis2

    Glossitis is the inflammation of the tongue, which can be accompanied by redness or inflammation of the oral cavity. Dermatitis is also frequently a symptom3,4.

    There has been no toxicity of riboflavin reported.

    References & Links

    1. www.fao.org/docrep/W0073e/p206.gif
    2. en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/File:An..._Cheilitis.JPG
    3. Gropper SS, Smith JL, Groff JL. (2008) Advanced nutrition and human metabolism. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing.
    4. Byrd-Bredbenner C, Moe G, Beshgetoor D, Berning J. (2009) Wardlaw's perspectives in nutrition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.

    This page titled 10.4B: Riboflavin Deficiency and Toxicity is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Brian Lindshield via source content that was edited to the style and standards of the LibreTexts platform; a detailed edit history is available upon request.

    • Was this article helpful?