J Korean Endocr Soc.  2007 Feb;22(1):55-61. 10.3803/jkes.2007.22.1.55.

A Case of Osteomalacia Caused by Severe Vitamin D Deficiency

• Kim SY
• Rhee SY
• Moon SY
• Chon S
• Jeong IK
• Oh S
• Ahn KJ
• Kim DY
• Chung HY
• Kim SW
• Kim JW
• Kim YS
• Woo JT

• KMID: 2178243
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3803/jkes.2007.22.1.55

Abstract

Vitamin D is a kind of hormone that can be synthesized in the skin or it is supplied in the diet it is involved in a central role in bone and calcium homeostasis in vivo. Metabolic bone diseases such as rickets in children and osteomalacia in adults can also be caused by deficiency or metabolic defects in the vitamin D hormone related system. However, there has been a lack of generalized epidemiologic studies about the vitamin D deficiency status in Koreans. We recently experienced a case of osteomalacia caused by severe vitamin D deficiency. These kinds of case have not been reported elsewhere in Korea for the last twenty years.

Keyword

Osteomalacia; Vitamin D deficiency

MeSH Terms

Adult
Bone Diseases, Metabolic
Calcium
Child
Diet
Homeostasis
Humans
Korea
Osteomalacia*
Rickets
Skin
Vitamin D Deficiency*
Vitamin D*
Vitamins*
Calcium
Vitamin D
Vitamins

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Diffuse osteopenia, multiple compression fracture (arrows) and severe kyphotic and lordotic morphological chages of spine were observed in plain X ray images.

• 

  Fig. 2 Initial bone scan (A) and bone densitometer (B) images of the patient. No evidences of acute bony lesion were observed in bone scan. In bone densitometer, both T (-6.4) and Z (-4.1) score of L1~4 level were severely lowered.

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  Fig. 3 Patient's wedding photography taken approximately 30 years ago (A). Patient's house (arrow) was surrounded by tall buildings (B).

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  Fig. 4 Post-treatment bone densitometer (L1~4) images of patient. After calcium and vitamin D supplement, Both T (-4.6 after 6 months, -1.3 after 18 months) and Z score (-2.2 after 6 months, 1.0 after 18 months) were significantly improved.

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