Vitamin D deficiency osteomalacia: the continuing challenge

ABSTRACT

Vitamin D deficiency has long been recognized to be commonest in Pakistani immigrants then in the general population in UK. We report 2 cases [patients] from our metabolic bone disease clinic in Karachi, Pakistan. The patients presented with bone deformities secondary to vitamin D deficiency. Diet, lack of sunlight exposure and wearing the veil were identified as risk factors in one case, but the other case did not have obvious risk factors. Similar cases have been identified in our clinic, confirming that despite abundant UV light, vitamin D insufficiency is a problem in people living in Pakistan. Osteomalacia presents in a clinically florid form in our population. Metabolic studies to determine the pathophysiology of vitamin D deficiency in Asian population within homeland are long overdue. It may be cost effective to pool resources inorder to setup national or regional resources to study this problem: