The "mandibular mantle"--a sign of rickets in very low birth weight infants
Related Experiment Videos
Insights
Mandibular periosteal new bone formation, or the "mandibular mantle," in infants indicates severe metabolic bone disease. This finding helps differentiate skeletal from pulmonary lung disorders in infants with respiratory issues.
Area of Science:
- Neonatal medicine
- Pediatric radiology
- Skeletal dysplasias
Background:
- Very low birth weight infants can exhibit mandibular periosteal new bone formation.
- This finding is associated with severe metabolic bone disease.
- Respiratory distress in infants can be challenging to diagnose.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe mandibular periosteal new bone formation in very low birth weight infants.
- To highlight the association between this mandibular change and metabolic bone disease.
- To differentiate skeletal from pulmonary causes of respiratory distress in infants.
Main Methods:
- Radiographic assessment of the mandible.
- Clinical evaluation of infants with dyspnoea and apnoea.
- Comparison with cases of Mikity-Wilson Syndrome.
Main Results:
- Mandibular periosteal new bone formation (mandibular mantle) observed in infants with metabolic bone disease.
- This sign suggests a skeletal origin for lung disorders in affected infants.
- Aids in differentiating from Mikity-Wilson Syndrome (pulmonary dystmaturity).
Conclusions:
- Mandibular periosteal new bone formation is a potential indicator of metabolic bone disease in neonates.
- This radiographic finding can help distinguish skeletal from pulmonary causes of respiratory distress.
- Early identification of the mandibular mantle may guide diagnosis and management in critically ill infants.
Abstract:
Mandibular periosteal new bone formation (the "mandibular mantle") is described in very low birth weight infants with other signs of severe metabolic bone disease. In infants with onset of dyspnoea and apnoea, between two and three months of age, this mandibular change suggests that the lung disorder is of skeletal, rather than pulmonary origin and aids in differentiation therefore, from the Mikity-Wilson Syndrome (pulmonary dystmaturity).