Nephrocalcinosis in neonates: report of 5 cases

ABSTRACT

The nephrocalcinosis is a pathologic entity rarely revealed to the neonatal period. The etiologies are dominated by hypercalciuria of prematurity whose origin is mostly iatrogenic. In full-term newborn, it refers primarily to the early revelation tubulopathy [distal tubular acidosis, Bartter syndrome] and primary hyperoxaluria, pathology common in the North African population. The prognosis depends on the extension of calcium deposits, the etiology and therapeutic options. In the pediatric nephrology department of the Charles Nicolle hopital, and during a period of 7 years from 2002 to 2008, we supported for nephrocalcinosis, 5 full-term newborns who fall into 3 boys and 2 girls. The average age of discovery is 19 days with extremes of 15 to 25 days. Consanguinity was present in 4 cases. The circumstances of discovery are Acute dehydration with underweight in 2 patients. A urinary tract infection in one patient. NeonataI convulsions secondary to hypomagnesaemia. A chance discovery in the exploration of a symptomatology evocative of a gastrosophageal ref lux disease in a patient. Explorations turned up the diagnosis of distal tubular acidosis in 2 patients, a primary hyperoxaluria in 1 patient, idiopathic hypercalciuria in a patient and a family hypomagnesaemia with hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis in another patient