pica and Brain-Diseases

Topics: Adult; Anemia; Blood Chemical Analysis; Brain Diseases; Child, Preschool; Edetic Acid; Environmental Exposure; Gout; Humans; Infant; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Nephritis; Neuromuscular Diseases; Pica; Skin Absorption

A 2-year-old boy with a history of pica was admitted with vomiting and treated overnight for viral tonsillitis. A week later, he presented with a prolonged afebrile seizure and required intubation and ventilation. Antibiotics and acyclovir were started. Despite extensive investigations including MRI head, no cause was identified. Four days later, he deteriorated with signs of raised intracranial pressure. On day 5, blood lead concentration in the sample collected at admission was reported as grossly elevated, consistent with a diagnosis of severe lead poisoning from ingesting lead-containing paint at the family home. Chelation therapy was started but, unfortunately, he did not make a neurological recovery, and care was withdrawn. A serious case review identified a lack of awareness of lead poisoning and its relation to pica as a root cause. We report this case to share our experience and the importance of considering lead poisoning in children with pica.

Topics: Brain Diseases; Chelating Agents; Chelation Therapy; Child, Preschool; Humans; Lead; Lead Poisoning, Nervous System, Childhood; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Paint; Pica; Treatment Outcome

Pica is the developmentally and culturally inappropriate eating of nonnutritive substances for at least 1 month. Herein, we present the case of a male patient that suddenly showed behavioral changes including aggressiveness, withdrawal, and perceptional disturbances at the age of 12. About 7 years later, pica symptoms emerged additionally. Neither pharmacotherapy nor electroconvulsive therapy led to success. Magnetic resonance imaging showed bilateral sclerosis of the hippocampus. The therapy with carbamazepine, clozapine, diazepam, and zinc finally improved the symptoms including the pica symptoms.

Topics: Adult; Brain Diseases; Hippocampus; Humans; Male; Pica; Psychotic Disorders; Sclerosis

Long-term backyard smelting of lead in a district known as Mona Commons, Kingston, Jamaica, has produced lead burdens as high as 30 000 mg/kg in soils near to the smelter, and indoor dust loadings of 373 microg/f2 in the residents' home. The blood lead levels (BPb) of 107 children from the district were in the range 2.2-202 microg/dL. Fifty-nine per cent of these had BPb levels above 10 microg/dL and the population mean was an unacceptably high 25.1 microg/dL. The highest levels were observed for five siblings, two of whom presented with lead encephalopathy. This severe chronic exposure to lead was exacerbated by a significant history of pica, and chronic nutritional anaemia. Chelation therapy significantly reduced the BPb levels but due to lead storage in other organs, the values after several months were still higher than desirable. This study emphasizes the importance of reducing the exposure of children to lead.

Topics: Acute Disease; Brain Diseases; Chelation Therapy; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Health Surveys; Humans; Jamaica; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Male; Pica; Residence Characteristics; Risk Assessment

Topics: Adult; Atrophy; Brain Diseases; Fatal Outcome; Frontal Lobe; Humans; Hyperphagia; Male; Middle Aged; Pica; Psychomotor Agitation; Status Epilepticus; Syndrome

Topics: Administration, Oral; Anemia, Hypochromic; Brain Diseases; Canada; Child, Preschool; Developmental Disabilities; Female; Humans; Iron Chelating Agents; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Male; Paint; Pica

Topics: Adult; Brain Diseases; Celiac Disease; Female; Humans; Lead Poisoning; Menopause; Pica; Time Factors

Acute lead encephalopathy has become a rare syndrome in the United States. Early recognition of the disease, with institution of specific chelation therapy, is critical in order to minimize mortality and morbidity. Lead intoxication, however, may mimic other more common diseases. We report an 8-year-old child with known sickle cell anemia who presented initially with findings suggestive of vaso-occlusive crisis but who deteriorated rapidly and was found to have severe lead poisoning. We present her hospital course and review the management of lead encephalopathy in detail.

Topics: Anemia, Sickle Cell; Brain Diseases; Chelating Agents; Child; Diagnosis, Differential; Emergencies; Erythrocytes; Exchange Transfusion, Whole Blood; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Pica; Protoporphyrins; Seizures; Socioeconomic Factors

Topics: Air Pollutants; Brain Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Chronic Disease; Diagnosis, Differential; Environmental Pollutants; Food Contamination; Humans; Infant; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Pica

Topics: Brain Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; India; Infant; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Male; Pica

Topics: Abnormalities, Drug-Induced; Age Factors; Air Pollutants; Air Pollution; Brain Diseases; Child; Child, Preschool; Electroencephalography; Female; Humans; Intellectual Disability; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Maternal-Fetal Exchange; Motor Skills; Paint; Pica; Pregnancy; Seizures

Topics: Brain Diseases; Child, Preschool; Humans; Infant; Lead; Lead Poisoning; Levulinic Acids; Mass Screening; Pica