Restricted dietary intake is common among children with behavioral issues. Here we report a case of a severely autistic child who presented initially with limp but who soon developed cough, tachypnea, hypoxia, and tachycardia. An echocardiogram revealed evidence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) with severely dilated right ventricle and elevated right-sided pressures. The etiology of his PH was unclear but further laboratory evaluation demonstrated severe nutritional deficiencies, in particular an undetectable ascorbic acid (vitamin C) level as well as deficient levels of thiamine (vitamin B1), pyridoxine (vitamin B6), cobalamin (vitamin B12), and vitamin D. Repletion of these vitamins was associated with resolution of his PH and his musculoskeletal complaints. We report this case and a review of the relevant literature as a clinical lesson to expand the differential diagnosis of limp in children who may be difficult to assess as well as to report on an unusual association between severe vitamin deficiencies and PH.
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December 2013
Case Report|
December 01 2013
Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Scurvy and Vitamin Deficiencies in an Autistic Child
Melody G. Duvall, MD;
aDivision of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesia,
Address correspondence to Melody G. Duvall, MD, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesia, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: melody.duvall@childrens.harvard.edu
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Yana Pikman, MD;
Yana Pikman, MD
Divisions of bHematology and Oncology,
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David B. Kantor, MD;
David B. Kantor, MD
aDivision of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesia,
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Katelyn Ariagno, RD;
Katelyn Ariagno, RD
cGastroenterology and Nutrition, and
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Lisa Summers, MD;
Lisa Summers, MD
cGastroenterology and Nutrition, and
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Theodore C. Sectish, MD;
Theodore C. Sectish, MD
dGeneral Pediatrics, Department of Medicine, and
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Mary P. Mullen, MD
Mary P. Mullen, MD
eDepartment of Cardiology, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
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Address correspondence to Melody G. Duvall, MD, PhD, Boston Children’s Hospital, Division of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Anesthesia, 300 Longwood Ave, Boston, MA 02115. E-mail: melody.duvall@childrens.harvard.edu
FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE: The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose.
Pediatrics (2013) 132 (6): e1699–e1703.
Article history
Accepted:
June 26 2013
Citation
Melody G. Duvall, Yana Pikman, David B. Kantor, Katelyn Ariagno, Lisa Summers, Theodore C. Sectish, Mary P. Mullen; Pulmonary Hypertension Associated With Scurvy and Vitamin Deficiencies in an Autistic Child. Pediatrics December 2013; 132 (6): e1699–e1703. 10.1542/peds.2012-3054
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