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Folate deficiency

Última revisão das evidências: 14 Apr 2026
Última atualização do tópico: 04 Feb 2026

Resumo

Definição

História e exame físico

Outros fatores diagnósticos

  • prolonged diarrhea
  • loss of appetite and weight loss
  • fatigue
  • shortness of breath
  • dizziness
  • pallor
  • headache
  • tachycardia
  • tachypnea
  • heart murmur
  • signs of heart failure
  • signs of alcohol-use disorder
  • signs of hemolytic anemia
  • signs of exfoliative dermatitis
  • painful swallowing
  • petechiae
  • glossitis
  • angular stomatitis
  • neurologic deficits in children
Detalhes completos

Fatores de risco

  • low dietary folate intake
  • alcohol-use disorder
  • pregnant or lactating
  • prematurity
  • intestinal malabsorptive disorders
  • use of certain drugs
  • congenital defects in folate absorption and metabolism
  • states of increased cell turnover
  • special diet
  • chronic dialysis
Detalhes completos

Investigações diagnósticas

Primeiras investigações a serem solicitadas

  • peripheral blood smear
  • CBC
  • reticulocyte count
Detalhes completos

Tests to avoid

  • red blood cell folate
Detalhes completos

Investigações a serem consideradas

  • serum folate
  • serum vitamin B12
  • serum LDH
  • serum unconjugated bilirubin
  • serum iron panel
  • plasma or serum methylmalonic acid
  • plasma homocysteine
  • bone marrow aspirate/biopsy
Detalhes completos

Algoritmo de tratamento

Inicial

at risk of folate deficiency due to pregnancy or lactation

at risk of folate deficiency due to malabsorptive disorders, chronic hemolytic disorder, or chronic peritoneal dialysis

at risk of folate deficiency due to certain drugs

AGUDA

acquired: macrocytosis without anemia

acquired: macrocytic anemia

congenital: hereditary folate malabsorption

congenital: methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms

congenital: cerebral folate transport deficiency

Colaboradores

Autores

Aśok C. Antony, MD, MACP

Chancellor’s Professor of Medicine

Division of Hematology-Oncology

Department of Medicine

Indiana University School of Medicine

Indianapolis

IN

Declarações

ACA declares that he has no competing interests.

Agradecimentos

Dr Aśok C. Antony would like to gratefully acknowledge Dr Mark Koury, Dr Allison Wheeler, Dr Mohammed Sika, Dr Lakshmi V. Srivaths, and Donald Mahoney Jr., previous contributors to this topic.

Declarações

MK, AW, MS, LVS, and DM declare that they have no competing interests.

Revisores

Ralph Green, MD, PhD, FRCPath

Professor and Chair

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

University of California Davis School of Medicine

Sacramento

CA

Declarações

RG is the author of reference(s) cited in this topic.

Jack Metz, MB, BCh, MD, DSc(Med), FRCPath, FCAP, FRCPA, FRS(SA), DSc Med(Hon Caus)

Emeritus Professor and Consultant Haematologist

Dorevitch Pathology

Heidelberg

Victoria

Australia

Declarações

JM declares that he has no competing interests.

Créditos aos pareceristas

Os tópicos do BMJ Best Practice são constantemente atualizados, seguindo os desenvolvimentos das evidências e das diretrizes. Os pareceristas aqui listados revisaram o conteúdo pelo menos uma vez durante a história do tópico.

Declarações

As afiliações e declarações dos pareceristas referem--se ao momento da revisão.

Referências

Nossas equipes internas de editoria e de evidências trabalham em conjunto com colaboradores internacionais especializados e pares revisores para garantir que forneçamos acesso às informações o mais clinicamente relevantes possível.

Principais artigos

Pfeiffer CM, Sternberg MR, Zhang M, et al. Folate status in the US population 20 y after the introduction of folic acid fortification. Am J Clin Nutr. 2019 Nov 1;110(5):1088-97.Texto completo  Resumo

Allen LH. Causes of vitamin B12 and folate deficiency. Food Nutr Bull. 2008 Jun;29(2 suppl):S20-34. Resumo

Whitehead VM. Acquired and inherited disorders of cobalamin and folate in children. Br J Haematol. 2006 Jul;134(2):125-36.Texto completo  Resumo

MRC Vitamin Study Research Group. Prevention of neural tube defects: results of the Medical Research Council Vitamin Study. Lancet. 1991 Jul 20;338(8760):131-7. Resumo

Artigos de referência

Uma lista completa das fontes referenciadas neste tópico está disponível para os usuários com acesso total ao BMJ Best Practice.
  • Folate deficiency images
  • Diagnósticos diferenciais

    • Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) deficiency
    • Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia
    • Hereditary orotic aciduria
    Mais Diagnósticos diferenciais
  • Diretrizes

    • Maternal and child nutrition: nutrition and weight management in pregnancy, and nutrition in children up to 5 years
    • Folic acid supplementation for the prevention of neural tube defects
    Mais Diretrizes
  • Folhetos informativos para os pacientes

    Premature labor

    Underactive thyroid

    Mais Folhetos informativos para os pacientes
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