Rickets- The Lagos University Teaching Hospital Experience

SUMMARY

Background: Nutritional or vitamin D deficiency rickets is the most prevalent type of rickets in the developing country while the resistant types are prevalent in the developed countries.

Patients and Methods: We carried out clinical, biochemical and radiological studies on fifty-two children comprising of 21 males and 31 females diagnosed with rickets. Results: All the children (100%) had limbs deformity and also wrist and ankle enlargement. Other characteristic physical features such as chest deformity, rachitic rosary, skull bossing and delayed closure of anterior fontane were 22%, 28%, 67%and 15% respectively. X-ray of affected limbs confirmed rickets in all the children. They all had hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and raised alkaline phosphatase. Most of the children (80%) were from the low socio-economic class.

Conclusion: The probable common causes of rickets in our patients are a diet deficient in calcium and vitamin D deficiency due to reduce exposure to sunlight. Niger. Med. J. 2003, Vol.44(2): 38 - 40.