Benign intracranial hypertension in vitamin D deficiency rickets associated with malnutrition.

Abstract

Benign intracranial hypertension, a condition characterized by a normal ventricular system and a cerebrospinal fluid of normal composition has been described in hypoparathyroidism (DAVIDOFF, 1956), hypervitaminosis A (MARIE and SEE, 1954), hypophosphatasia (FRASER et al, 1955), marked anaemia (LUBECK, 1959), chlortetracycline, oxytetracycline and tetracycline therapy (GELLIS, 1956), Addison's disease (JEFFERSON, 1956) and roseola infantum (HOLIDAY, 1950). Reports of this condition in malnourished children were mainly in those with hypovitaminosis A (BASS and CAPLAN, 1955) and few cases of severe iron deficiency anaemia (LUBECK, 1959). An asymptomatic condition characterized by a bulging fontanelle with some increase in intracranial fluid occurring in rachitic premature infants has been referred to by ELIOT and PARK (1957). However, reports of the peculiar association described below are lacking. The purpose of this paper is to describe a clinical picture of benign intracranial hypertension, not infrequently met with, in 10 infants with a syndrome of multiple deficiencies, viz, vitamin D deficiency rickets, iron deficiency anaemia and a variable degree of proteincalorie malnutrition.