April - June 2008, Volume 4, Issue 2

Anca IA, Brezan F, Stanescu-Popp A, Iordachescu M, Acs B, Terteliu M

An unusual association: neonatal rickets and calcinosis cutis

Acta Endo (Buc) 2008, 4 (2): 195-202
doi: 10.4183/aeb.2008.195

We present the case of severe hypocalcaemia in a 5 weeks old baby, secondary to pre and postnatal vitamin D deficiency. The symptomatic hypocalcaemia led to several life threatening episodes of seizures. Following initial calcium gluconate infusion, multiple phospho-calcic deposits in the soft tissue and cerebral tissue were observed. A multifactorial etiology of calcinosis cutis was suggested by the association between infusion of high and repeated doses of calcium gluconate in a severely hypocalcaemic baby, with a low 25- hydroxyvitamin D3 level, associated to a renal and bone relative resistance to the high level of PTH. The aim of this report is to raise pediatric health care professionals awareness on the relatively rare entity known as calcinosis cutis.

Keywords: vitamin D prophylaxis, hypocalcaemia, hyperparathyroidism, calcinosis cutis, infant

Correspondence: Ioana Alina Anca, Institute for Mother and Child Care, Bd. Lacul Tei 120, sector 2, Bucuresti 020395, e-mail: ioanalina@yahoo.com