Anticonvulsant induced osteomalacia

Description: Indian Pediatrics 2000;37: 296-307
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder of childhood frequently requiring prolonged use of anticonvulsants. Most of the commonly used anticonvulsants particularly phenytoin, pheno-barbitone, and carbamazepine have the propensity to interfere with vitamin D meta-bolism. Though biochemical changes are frequent, clinically overt rickets or osteomalacia is rare(1-6). Since the signs and symptoms of osteomalacia are non-specific, the diagnosis is frequently delayed resulting in considerable morbidity(1,2). We report three cases with anticonvulsant induced osteomalacia.