Challenging illness scripts: a case of pernicious anaemia and axonal neuropathy

Abstract

This case report presents a male in his 30s with pernicious anaemia, initially diagnosed with autoimmune haemolytic anaemia and thrombocytopenia. Despite improvement with treatment, he developed bilateral leg weakness and numbness, ultimately diagnosed as peripheral neuropathy. Further investigations revealed a spectrum of haematological and neurological manifestations associated with B12 deficiency, challenging the typical illness script of pernicious anaemia. This report underscores the importance of recognising variations in clinical presentation and highlights the need for expanded illness scripts to guide accurate diagnosis and management.