Limping in toddlers due to disorders of the spine and spinal cord

Limping is a frequent symptom during childhood and can be caused by a variety ofdiseases, the most common causes being trauma and infections of the bones or joints. The authors describe three cases of limping in toddlers caused by infrequent spinal diseases. The toddlers presented with limping witho...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inNederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde Vol. 151; no. 42; p. 2297
Main Authors Willems, W F, Wieringa, J W, Vermeulen, R J, Veenhoven, R H
Format Journal Article
LanguageDutch
Published Netherlands 20.10.2007
Subjects
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Astrocytoma - diagnosis
Astrocytoma - surgery
Bone Neoplasms - diagnosis
Bone Neoplasms - drug therapy
Bone Neoplasms - secondary
Bone Neoplasms - surgery
Discitis - diagnosis
Discitis - drug therapy
Female
Gait
Humans
Infant
Male
Neuroblastoma - diagnosis
Neuroblastoma - drug therapy
Neuroblastoma - pathology
Neuroblastoma - surgery
Spinal Diseases - diagnosis
Spinal Diseases - drug therapy
Spinal Diseases - surgery
Treatment Failure
Treatment Outcome
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Summary:Limping is a frequent symptom during childhood and can be caused by a variety ofdiseases, the most common causes being trauma and infections of the bones or joints. The authors describe three cases of limping in toddlers caused by infrequent spinal diseases. The toddlers presented with limping without a preceding trauma. In the first patient, an 18-month-old girl, the limping was caused by spondylodiscitis. She recovered completely after antibiotics. The second patient, a 13-month-old boy, presented with limping caused by neuroblastoma with extensive bone metastasis. Despite chemotherapy and partial resection of the neuroblastoma, the boy did not survive. In the last patient, a 19-month-old girl, the limping was caused by an intraspinal intramedullary astrocytoma. She recovered after partial resection of the tumour. In young children presenting with limping, diagnoses involving the spine should also be considered because early intervention can influence the prognosis favourably.
ISSN:0028-2162