Pernicious anemia

Risk factors include a family history of pernicious anemia, Scandinavian or Northern European descent, and a history of autoimmune endocrine disorders. Pernicious anemia is seen in association with some autoimmune endocrine diseases such as type 1 diabetes, hypoparathyroidism, Addison's disease, hypopituitarism, testicular dysfunction, Graves disease, chronic thyroiditis, myasthenia gravis, secondary amenorrhea, and vitiligo.

In addition to pernicious anemia, other causes of vitamin B-12 deficiency include:

• Nutrition (strict vegetarians without B-12 supplementation, poor diet in infant, or poor maternal nutrition during pregnancy)
• Infection (intestinal parasites, bacterial overgrowth)
• Gastrointestinal disease (stomach removal surgery, celiac disease [sprue], Crohn's disease)
• Drugs (colchicine, neomycin, tuberculosis treatment with para amino salicylic acid)
• Metabolic disorders (methylmalonic aciduria, homocystinuria)

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