An unexpected finding in an eight-year-old child with cerebral palsy and weight loss.
Poor weight gain is frequently seen in children with cerebral palsy. This is most commonly due to poor oral-motor coordination, resulting in inadequate caloric intake. We present the case of an eight-year-old girl with Aicardi syndrome who had been an exclusively oral feeder and who was noted to have had a 10-lb weight loss over the previous months when she was admitted to the hospital with seizures. Due to ongoing diminished oral intake, a barium swallow was performed, which revealed a filling defect. The mass that was removed at surgery proved to be a lactobezoar, a very uncommon finding in a child of this age.
Smith
Bradley J
BJ
Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Nemours Children's Clinic, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA.
Bachrach
Steven J
SJ
D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D001630:Bezoars / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002547:Cerebral Palsy; D002648:Child; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D012640:Seizures; D013270:Stomach / Q000473:pathology*; D013577:Syndrome; D015431:Weight Loss