Hypocalcemia nutritional rickets: a curable cause of dilated cardiomyopathy

J Trop Pediatr. 2011 Apr;57(2):126-8. doi: 10.1093/tropej/fmq044. Epub 2010 Jun 15.

Abstract

Dilated cardiomyopathy is an important cause of heart failure in children. Often it requires transplantation, but on rare occasions it is curable by micronutrient supplementation. Hypocalcemic nutritional rickets was found to be a cause for dilated cardiomyopathy in a 15-month-old child. The patient responded to calcium and vitamin D supplementation promptly and left ventricular systolic function normalized after 3 months of treatment. Nutritional rickets must the considered as an important curable cause for dilated cardiomyopathy among children especially in regions where nutritional rickets is still common.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Bone Density Conservation Agents / therapeutic use
  • Calcium / therapeutic use
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / diagnosis
  • Cardiomyopathy, Dilated / etiology*
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Electrocardiography
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Hypocalcemia / blood*
  • Hypocalcemia / complications
  • Hypocalcemia / diagnosis
  • Infant
  • Rickets / complications*
  • Rickets / drug therapy
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Vitamin D / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin D Deficiency / complications*
  • Vitamins / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Bone Density Conservation Agents
  • Vitamins
  • Vitamin D
  • Calcium