[Osseous scurvy in an 11-month-old infant. Radiological course]

The authors report the case a 11-month-old baby girl admitted by the "Mother and Child Welfare" doctor. On admission, she was very hypotrophic, febrile and pale. Furthermore, she had anaemia complicated with painful invalidating oedema of both thighs. X-ray film show moderate lesions of the metaphysis, but very rapidly, there was a hugh bilateral sub-periosteal hematoma. They insist on the value of periosteal hematoma as a characteristic sign of scurvy. This was later confirmed by laboratory investigations and by the finding of urinary infection due to bilateral reflex on cystography and to right uretero-hydronephrosis on I.V.P. This case is singular because it associates three findings: severe vitamin deficiency by dietetic error due to modern industrial alimentation and a major urinary tract malformation with refractory urinary tract infection.

PMID: 1177197 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]