Retardation of myelination due to dietary vitamin B12 deficiency: cranial MRI findings - PubMed (original) (raw)

Case Reports

doi: 10.1007/s002470050090.

Affiliations

• PMID: 9028851
• DOI: 10.1007/s002470050090

Free article

Case Reports

Retardation of myelination due to dietary vitamin B12 deficiency: cranial MRI findings

K Lövblad et al. Pediatr Radiol. 1997 Feb.

Free article

Abstract

Vitamin B12 deficiency is known to be associated with signs of demyelination, usually in the spinal cord. Lack of vitamin B12 in the maternal diet during pregnancy has been shown to cause severe retardation of myelination in the nervous system. We report the case of a 14(1)/2-month-old child of strictly vegetarian parents who presented with severe psychomotor retardation. This severely hypotonic child had anemia due to insufficient maternal intake of vitamin B12 with associated megaloblastic anemia. MRI of the brain revealed severe brain atrophy with signs of retarded myelination, the frontal and temporal lobes being most severely affected. It was concluded that this myelination retardation was due to insufficient intake of vitamin B12 and vitamin B12 therapy was instituted. The patient responded well with improvement of clinical and imaging abnormalities. We stress the importance of MRI in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with suspected diseases of myelination.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

• [Metabolic complications and neurologic manifestations of vitamin B12 deficiency in children of vegetarian mothers].
  Smolka V, Bekárek V, Hlídková E, Bucil J, Mayerová D, Skopková Z, Adam T, Hrubá E, Kozich V, Buriánková L, Saligová J, Buncová M, Zeman J. Smolka V, et al. Cas Lek Cesk. 2001 Nov 22;140(23):732-5. Cas Lek Cesk. 2001. PMID: 11787236 Czech.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency in infancy as a cause of developmental regression.
  Casella EB, Valente M, de Navarro JM, Kok F. Casella EB, et al. Brain Dev. 2005 Dec;27(8):592-4. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2005.02.005. Brain Dev. 2005. PMID: 16310594
• Severe vitamin B12 deficiency in an exclusively breastfed 5-month-old Italian infant born to a mother receiving multivitamin supplementation during pregnancy.
  Guez S, Chiarelli G, Menni F, Salera S, Principi N, Esposito S. Guez S, et al. BMC Pediatr. 2012 Jun 24;12:85. doi: 10.1186/1471-2431-12-85. BMC Pediatr. 2012. PMID: 22726312 Free PMC article.
• Vitamin B12 deficiency as a worldwide problem.
  Stabler SP, Allen RH. Stabler SP, et al. Annu Rev Nutr. 2004;24:299-326. doi: 10.1146/annurev.nutr.24.012003.132440. Annu Rev Nutr. 2004. PMID: 15189123 Review.
• Nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency in infancy: three case reports and a review of the literature.
  Doyle JJ, Langevin AM, Zipursky A. Doyle JJ, et al. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 1989;6(2):161-72. doi: 10.3109/08880018909034282. Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 1989. PMID: 2702070 Review.

Cited by

• The Effect of Early Pediatric Rehabilitation in an Infant With Vitamin B12 Deficiency Associated With Developmental Delay: A Case Report.
  Warghat PA, Sharath HV, Raghuveer R. Warghat PA, et al. Cureus. 2024 Jun 18;16(6):e62648. doi: 10.7759/cureus.62648. eCollection 2024 Jun. Cureus. 2024. PMID: 39036156 Free PMC article.
• Prenatal Vitamin B12 and Children's Brain Development and Cognitive, Language and Motor Outcomes: A Scoping Review.
  Jembere F, Dewey D. Jembere F, et al. Children (Basel). 2024 May 7;11(5):558. doi: 10.3390/children11050558. Children (Basel). 2024. PMID: 38790553 Free PMC article. Review.
• Biochemical, Nutritional, and Clinical Parameters of Vitamin B12 Deficiency in Infants: A Systematic Review and Analysis of 292 Cases Published between 1962 and 2022.
  Wirthensohn M, Wehrli S, Ljungblad UW, Huemer M. Wirthensohn M, et al. Nutrients. 2023 Nov 29;15(23):4960. doi: 10.3390/nu15234960. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 38068819 Free PMC article. Review.
• Prenatal folic acid and vitamin B12 imbalance alter neuronal morphology and synaptic density in the mouse neocortex.
  Tat L, Cannizzaro N, Schaaf Z, Racherla S, Bottiglieri T, Green R, Zarbalis KS. Tat L, et al. Commun Biol. 2023 Nov 8;6(1):1133. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-05492-9. Commun Biol. 2023. PMID: 37938221 Free PMC article.
• Maternal Serum Vitamin B12 during Pregnancy and Offspring Autism Spectrum Disorder.
  Sourander A, Silwal S, Surcel HM, Hinkka-Yli-Salomäki S, Upadhyaya S, McKeague IW, Cheslack-Postava K, Brown AS. Sourander A, et al. Nutrients. 2023 Apr 21;15(8):2009. doi: 10.3390/nu15082009. Nutrients. 2023. PMID: 37111227 Free PMC article.

References

1. 1. Lancet. 1992 May 9;339(8802):1172-3 - PubMed
2. 1. Lancet. 1962 Nov 3;2(7262):903-7 - PubMed
3. 1. Br Med J. 1962 Jun 16;1(5293):1658-61 - PubMed
4. 1. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1993 Sep-Oct;14(5):1224-7 - PubMed
5. 1. Lancet. 1991 Dec 21-28;338(8782-8783):1550-4 - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

LinkOut - more resources

• Full Text Sources

  • CORE
  • Ovid Technologies, Inc.
  • Springer

• Other Literature Sources

  • The Lens - Patent Citations

• Medical

  • MedlinePlus Health Information