Long-term follow-up of a patient with Gitelman's syndrome

The long-term follow-up (from age 6 to 20 years) of a girl with Gitelman's syndrome, who had four hypomagnesaemic-tetanic episodes associated with normal plasma calcium, hypokalemia and hypocalciuria, is presented. During and after puberty, hypomagnesaemia was of the order of 0.41-0.49 mmol/l and plasma potassium was at the lower reference limit. The long-term clinical course and growth of this patient appeared good, but, magnesium supplementation reduces the risk of tetanic crises.