AIM To describe 21 cases of symptomatic rickets in adolescents. METHODS The setting was a primary and secondary care hospital in Saudi Arabia providing medical care to Saudi Arab company employees and their families. Cases of symptomatic rickets diagnosed between January 1996 and December 1997 in adolescents aged 10 to 15 years were assessed with respect to clinical presentation, biochemical ...

The Nobel prize for chemistry for 1928 was awarded to Adolf Windaus “for his studies on the constitution of the sterols and their connection with vitamins” (1), the first person to receive an award mentioning vitamins. What was the contribution Windaus made to our knowledge of vitamins that deserved the highest scientific accolade? The vitamin in question was vitamin D. It had a long history be...

Vitamin D was discovered in early 20th century while looking for a cure for rickets [1]. British doctor Edward Mellan [2] by noticed dogs that were fed cod liver oil did not develop rickets and concluded vitamin A, or a closely associated factor, could prevent the disease. In 1922, Elmer McCollum tested modified cod liver oil in which the vitamin A had been destroyed [3]. The modified oil cured...

Ribs from 3 preterm infants, who had died after prolonged intravenous feeding and artificial ventilation, were examined histologically and assessed for the degree of osteomalacia and osteoporosis in cancellous bone of the shaft. A grid counting technique was used. Osteomalacia was noted in all 3 cases but to a lesser degree than in classical vitamin D-deficient controls. Osteoporosis was pronou...

1. Carlsen NL, Krasilnikoff PA, Eiken M. Premature cranial synostosis in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets: possible precipitation by 1-alpha-OH-cholecalciferol intoxication. Acta Paediatr Scand 73(1):149–54, 1984 2. Currarino G. Sagittal synostosis in X-linked hypophosphatemic rickets and related diseases. Pediatr Radiol 37(8):805–12, 2007 3. Freudlsperger C, Hoffmann J, Castrillon-Oberndorfer...

The last decades showed a resurgence of rickets and osteomalacia in the developed countries. In this report, we present two cases of dietary rickets in Indian teenage brothers who migrated to Europe. Supplementation of calcium and vitamin D3 to their diet resulted in rapid relief of musculoskeletal symptoms.

Fanconi-Bickel Syndrome (FBS) is a rare variety of glycogen storage disease (GSD). Characterized by massive hepatomegaly due to glycogen accumulation, severe hypophosphatemic rickets, and marked growth retardation due to proximal renal tubular dysfunction. We report a young boy presented as hypophosphatemic rickets with hepatomegaly and subsequently diagnosed as FBS.

Nutritional rickets has multiple presentations like skeletal deformities, tetany, hypocalcemic seizures, recurrent diarrhea, dental abnormalities, developmental delay and floppiness. Here a rare presentation of nutritional rickets is reported in five months old baby who had respiratory distress since two months and signs of respiratory distress resolved after start of vitamin-D supplementation.

Our observations show that young rabbits born of mothers afflicted with Schistosomum japonicum develop typical rickets. Rickets can also be produced if we infect the young, healthy rabbits with the same parasite. It is natural to suppose that the rachitic changes are caused by the parasite itself. Since, however, a similar disease can be produced in the offspring, when the mother is fed on egg ...