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An unexpected finding in an eight-year-old child with cerebral palsy and weight loss
Bradley J Smith1, Steven J Bachrach
1Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Nemours Children's Clinic, Wilmington, DE 19899, USA.
Insights
Poor weight gain in children with cerebral palsy is common. A rare lactobezoar caused significant weight loss in an Aicardi syndrome patient, impacting oral intake.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Gastroenterology
- Neurology
- Genetics
Background:
- Poor weight gain is prevalent in children with cerebral palsy, often linked to oral-motor coordination issues and insufficient caloric intake.
- Aicardi syndrome is a rare neurological disorder affecting development and often presenting with feeding difficulties.
Observation:
- An eight-year-old girl with Aicardi syndrome, an exclusive oral feeder, experienced a 10-lb weight loss.
- She was hospitalized due to seizures and ongoing diminished oral intake.
Findings:
- A barium swallow revealed a filling defect in the esophagus.
- Surgical removal identified the mass as a lactobezoar, an extremely rare diagnosis in a child of this age.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of considering rare gastrointestinal obstructions in pediatric patients with neurological conditions and unexplained weight loss.
- Early diagnosis and intervention for lactobezoars are crucial to prevent malnutrition and improve outcomes in children with complex medical histories.
Abstract:
Poor weight gain is frequently seen in children with cerebral palsy. This is most commonly due to poor oral-motor coordination, resulting in inadequate caloric intake. We present the case of an eight-year-old girl with Aicardi syndrome who had been an exclusively oral feeder and who was noted to have had a 10-lb weight loss over the previous months when she was admitted to the hospital with seizures. Due to ongoing diminished oral intake, a barium swallow was performed, which revealed a filling defect. The mass that was removed at surgery proved to be a lactobezoar, a very uncommon finding in a child of this age.
