title: An unique form of osteomalacia associated with end organ refractoriness to 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and apparent defective synthesis of 25-hydroxyvitamin D.
abstract: A 28-yr-old woman presented with hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia, secondary hyperparthyroidism, and biopsy-proven osteomalacia despite treatment with vitamin D2, (17.5 mg/day). Three weeks after vitamin D2 treatment was stopped, she was found to have a low normal serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and high serum 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)2D] of 18.6 ng/ml and 21.2 ng/dl, respectively. The fractional intestinal calcium absorption was low at 0.26. Treatment with 25OHD3 (20--50 micrograms/day) corrected the hypocalcemia and secondary hyperparathyroidism, raised intestinal calcium absorption, and reversed the skeletal lesions of osteomalacia. Serum 25OHD concentration rose to 51 ng/ml, while 1,25(OH)2D remained elevated. This case illustrates the probable operation of dual abnormalities in vitamin D metabolism. An impaired end organ responsiveness to 1,25(OH)2D was suggested by a low intestinal calcium absorption in the face of high serum 1,25(OH)2D. Moreover, there may have been a defective vitamin D-25-hydroxylase, since there was a relative refractoriness to treatment with large doses of vitamin D2, an inappropriately low serum 250HD after vitamin D2 therapy, and a responsiveness to treatment with 25OHD3.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002118:Calcium / Q000378:metabolism; D004872:Ergocalciferols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D010018:Osteomalacia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004872:Ergocalciferols; D006887:Hydroxycholecalciferols; D010710:Phosphates; D002118:Calcium