Vol. 12 No. 3 (2020): Archives of Public Health
Case Report

Benign transient hyperphosphatasemia - a cause for alarm or a benign condition

Ana Stamatova
University Clinic of Pediatric Diseases, Skopje; Faculty of Medicine, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
Stojka Fustic
University Clinic of Pediatric Diseases, Skopje; Faculty of Medicine, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
Lidija Spirevska
University Clinic of Pediatric Diseases, Skopje; Faculty of Medicine, Ss Cyril and Methodius University, Skopje
Snezana Mojsova
Primary health-care facility ”Dr. Mojsova” Bitola, Republic of North Macedonia
Viktor Tonevski
Primary health-care facility “Dr. Paskalov” Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia

Published 2020-12-15

Keywords

  • alkaline phosphatase,
  • hyperphosphatasia,
  • benign,
  • transient

How to Cite

1.
Stamatova A, Fustic S, Spirevska L, Mojsova S, Tonevski V. Benign transient hyperphosphatasemia - a cause for alarm or a benign condition. Arch Pub Health [Internet]. 2020 Dec. 15 [cited 2024 Mar. 28];12(3):86-90. Available from: https://id-press.eu/aph/article/view/5610

Abstract

Benign transient hyperphosphatasemia (BTH) is a condition which occurs in children younger than five years, characterized by a complete absence of specific clinical and laboratory findings of bone or liver diseases and a five or even 20–70-fold increase in serum of alkaline phosphatase levels(ALP). The aim of this case report was to point out that elevated levels of ALP are not always related to serious bone and liver diseases. We described three healthy patients, which were referred to our out-patient clinic by their primary care physicians because of markedly elevated levels of ALP. The diagnosis of BTH was based on a thorough physical exam, a wide range of laboratory and imaging tests, which excluded liver or bone disease as a cause for elevated ALP. BTH is not very well-known and managed in daily clinical practice. Primary care physicians should consider this diagnosis in cases with elevated ALP in otherwise healthy infants and toddlers, refrain from unnecessary tests, prescribing higher doses of vitamin D3 or referral to tertiary level pediatric institutions. 

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