title: An unusual cause of failure to thrive in a child.
abstract: Classic Bartter syndrome, depending on the severity, presents during childhood or adolescence as failure to thrive and may be incorrectly labelled as protein-energy malnutrition, particularly in children from a low socioeconomic stratum. We encountered a 5-year-old boy who was asymptomatic till the age of 3 years. Despite adequate dietary intake, he was admitted and managed in various hospitals as a case of protein-energy malnutrition. On evaluation, he had unusual features in the form of persistent hypokalaemia and polyuria leading us to suspect a renal tubular disorder. Treatment of the condition resulted in good weight gain and normalization of serum electrolytes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, M.V.J. Medical College and Research Hospital, Dandupalya, Kolathur Post, Kolar Highway, Hoskote, Bengaluru 562114, Karnataka, India. drpurnimas@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Purnima
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Samayam
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chander B
authors.forename: Sudha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Reddy V R
mesh_terms: D001477:Bartter Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005183:Failure to Thrive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D011141:Polyuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D011502:Protein-Energy Malnutrition / Q000175:diagnosis*