2. Rickets
• It is one of the most frequent deficiency
diseases in infants, the main clinical symptoms
of which are changes of the skeleton.
• Etiology of rickets: the deficiency of vitamin D
(D2-ergocalciferol, D3-cholecalciferol).
• Hypocalcemia
• hypophosphatemia
3. Rickets
• Clinical symptom.
• Head
• a) delayed closure of fontanels;
• b) deformed shape of the head:
• 1. the skull is flat and depressed toward middle;
• 2. a prominence of frontal bones = “Olympic
forehead”;
• 3. a prominence to the sides of the parietal bones
= “caput quadratum”;
4. • 4. prominence of parietal bones and
depression toward middle the suture between
these bones = caput natiforme;
• 5. craniotabes (softening of cranial bones);
• 6. softening of cranial bones may lead to
enlarging all the sizes of the head that is
called macrocephalia).
5. Rickets
• Chest:
• a) rachitic rosary (enlargement
of costochondral junction of ribs);
• b) Harrison’s groove (horizontal depression in
the lower portion of the rib cage);
• c) pigeon chest (depression to the middle of
lower part of sternum);
• Spine:
• kyphosis, scoliosis, lordosis.
6. Rickets
• Extremities:
• a) bowing of the arms and legs;
• b) knock-knee (X-shaped legs);
• c) saber shins;
• d) instability of hip joints;
• e) pelvic deformity;
• f) enlargement of epiphysis at the ends of
the long bones.
7. Rickets
varus deformity (X-shaped legs)
valgus deformity(X-shaped legs)valgus deformity(X-shaped legs)
valgus deformity(X-shaped legs)
8. Rickets
• Teeth:
• a) delayed calcification, especially of
permanent teeth;
• b) maleruption of teeth.
• Abdomen: potbelly, constipation.
• Rachitis tetany: seizures.
• Symptoms of rickets are usually found in
children less than 2 years of age, some of them in
an reduced form can persist for the whole life.
