Kwashiorkor and Marasmus are diseases of severe malnutrition. Kwashiorkor is caused by protein deficiency, and symptoms include swelling of the belly secondary to fluid leakage (edema), skin lesions, fatty liver change, and anemia. Marasmus is caused by a deficiency of all nutrients, or a total caloric deficiency. The classic clinical finding in marasmus is muscle wasting. The differences between Kwashiorkor vs. Marasmus come up often on the USMLE Step 1, so this video provides a simple mnemonic to remember both diseases.
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