Metabolic carotenemia and carotenoderma in a child.
We describe a 3-year-old girl with long-standing yellow discoloration of her skin and a 3-fold increase in the plasma carotenoid concentration compared to normal, but no history of excessive carotene intake or familial carotenemia. When put on a carotene-deficient diet for 8 months she still had some remaining yellow discoloration in the nasolabial folds and on the palms and soles. The results of an oral loading with beta-carotene (1 mg/kg) provide indirect evidence that the girl's carotenemia is due to a probably genetic defect in the metabolism of carotenoids.
Svensson
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Department of Dermatology, County Hospital, Kristianstad, Sweden.
Vahlquist
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D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008661:Metabolism, Inborn Errors / Q000235:genetics; D010859:Pigmentation Disorders / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D002338:Carotenoids