Osteopetrorickets: case report

Abstract

We report the case of a baby girl who presented with rickets at 3 months. At the age of 5 months she was readmitted because of nystagmus and a diagnosis of osteopetrosis was made on the basis of clinical and radiological findings. Rickets is a paradoxical feature of osteopetrosis resulting from inability to maintain a normal calcium-phosphorus balance. In our patient the onset of rickets before other symptoms of osteopetrosis suggests a primary defect.

Conclusion It is possible that patients with osteopetrosis and rickets (osteopetrorickets) represent a different mutation like the osteopetrosis mouse, which is the only animal mutation with rickets.