title: [Rickets. Diagnosis and therapy].
abstract: Rickets is caused by deficient mineralization at the level of growth plate and is usually due to a decreased serum calcium/phosphate product. Although the diagnosis of rickets can usually be suspected on the basis of a clinical examination (bone deformities in legs, impaired growth), radiological examination and detailed biochemical work-up are necessary to elucidate the etiology of the underlying disease. It is important to differentiate between calcipenic/vitamin deficient and phosphopenic rickets. The former is due to vitamin D deficiency, and the ultimate cause of this usually lies in altered vitamin D supply; however, impaired synthesis of or resistance to the actions of vitamin D can also be a cause. Phosphopenic rickets is usually related to impaired phosphate reabsorption in the proximal renal tubule. Both calcipenic and phosphopenic rickets can be acquired or hereditary in origin.
authors.affiliation: Pädiatrische Endokrinologie und Diabetologie, Otto-Huebner-Centrum für Kinder- und Jugendmedizin, Charité, CVK--Universitätsmedizin Berlin. dirk.schnabel@charite.de
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schnabel
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Haffner
mesh_terms: D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D007015:Hypophosphatemia, Familial / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012279:Rickets / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D014807:Vitamin D