Essential fatty acid deficiency with long-term hyperalimentation

Content of essential fatty acids was determined in the plasma lipid fractions of patients with malignancies of the female reproductive tract. A marked deficiency was identified in two such patients while on prolonged total parenteral nutrition with hypertonic glucose and casein hydrolysate, compared to a control group of ambulatory and postoperative patients. The progressive deficiency observed in one patient was completely reversed by infusions of fat emulsion over a 3-week period. These results indicate a need for inclusion of essential fatty acids with prolonged total parenteral nutrition.