International Medical Case Reports Journal (Jul 2019)

Acute hypervitaminosis A misdiagnosed as malaria in a 7-year-old Nigerian boy

  • Babatola AO,
  • Olatunya OS,
  • Ogundare EO,
  • Ajite AB,
  • Oluwayemi IO,
  • Thomas AA,
  • Taiwo AB,
  • Fatunla OA,
  • Komolafe AK,
  • Alfred A

Journal volume & issue
Vol. Volume 12
pp. 213 – 216

Abstract

Read online

Adefunke Olarinre Babatola,1,2 Oladele Simeon Olatunya,1,2 Ezra Olatunde Ogundare,1,2 Adebukola Bidemi Ajite,1,2 Isaac Oludare Oluwayemi,1,2 Awolowo Anthony Thomas,3 Adekunle Bamidele Taiwo,2 Odunayo Adebukola Fatunla,2 Akinwumi Kolawole Komolafe,2 Airemionkhale Alfred21Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria; 2Department of Paediatrics, Ekiti State University Teaching Hospital, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, Nigeria; 3Department of Radiology, Ekiti State University, Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, NigeriaAbstract: Vitamin A supplementation program where single high-dose vitamin A supplements are provided to the qualified (infants and children) at regular intervals is operational in Nigeria as a public health initiative to control vitamin A deficiency which is prevalent in our country in accordance with the WHO recommendations. Reports of symptomatic acute hypervitaminosis A are scarce. We report a case of acute hypervitaminosis A resulting from accidental ingestion of vitamin A supplement capsules. This is to reiterate the need for caregivers to keep drugs out of the reach of children. Clinicians should also have a high index of suspicion.Keywords: vitamin A supplementation, malaria, accidental ingestion, raised intracranial pressure

Keywords