Vitamin E refers to a group of compounds that are essential to the diet of animals, where its primary function is an antioxidant. Excessive vitamin E supplementation can cause a reversible coagulopathy in the setting of compromised vitamin K absorption or function. We describe the case of a woman in her mid-80s treated for micronutrient deficiencies following a biliopancreatic diversion as a bariatric procedure 14 years previously. Her coagulation tests were normal until she commenced vitamin E and accidentally over-administered the prescribed dose. This resulted in a coagulopathy, characterised by a prolonged international normalised ratio (INR) and activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT). The patient never had any signs of active bleeding. Both coagulation parameters normalised after stopping the vitamin E and with vitamin K supplementation. This case signifies the importance of careful instruction and monitoring of vitamin replacement, in particular vitamin E supplementation, which in excess leads to coagulopathy.
Reversible coagulopathy associated with vitamin E excess
T. Green,David M Williams,J. Sharman,J.W. Stephens
Published 2025 in BMJ Case Reports
ABSTRACT
PUBLICATION RECORD
- Publication year
2025
- Venue
BMJ Case Reports
- Publication date
2025-06-01
- Fields of study
Medicine
- Identifiers
- External record
- Source metadata
Semantic Scholar, PubMed
CITATION MAP
EXTRACTION MAP
CLAIMS
- No claims are published for this paper.
CONCEPTS
- No concepts are published for this paper.
REFERENCES
Showing 1-21 of 21 references · Page 1 of 1
CITED BY
Showing 1-1 of 1 citing papers · Page 1 of 1