[Radiographic changes in the jaw bones of children with chronic renal failure]

Thirty-four children with chronic renal failure were examined to evaluate the character and frequency of radiographic changes in the jawbones as related to radiographic abnormalities in other skeletal regions and laboratory data. Twenty-seven children showed signs of renal osteodystrophy on the roentgenograms. Radiographic changes in the jawbones including alterations of the laminae durae were observed in twenty-three children. Total loss of laminae durae was only seen in connection with other skeletal signs of renal osteodystrophy. In all these cases the serum parathyroid hormone (iPTH-C) and alkaline phosphatase levels were remarkably increased so that even in the uremic child total absence of laminae durae cannot be considered a first symptom of renal osteodystrophy. However, radiographic changes in the jawbones are important signs for early detection of renal insufficiency in childhood, as these symptomes appeared with similar frequency as pathologic changes in other skeletal regions and were already present in stage of preterminal renal insufficiency.