Pre-adolescent resistant rickets in the African - a probable new syndrome

Eleven cases of Vitamin D resistant rickets are reviewed. Diagnostic criteria and guidelines for management are discussed. Features of significance in this small series were the relatively large number of adult onset hypophosphataemia cases, in the face of their acknowledged rarity, and the absence of cases of Fanconi syndrome or renal tubular acidosis. Two of the cases showing the features of hypophosphataemic osteomalacia had a severe form of bilharzial uropathy.