[Differential diagnosis of the symptom of lactic acidosis in childhood].

Transitory Lactic acidemia may be found under very different conditions, eg. hyperventilation, hypoxia, strenuous muscular work, diabetic ketoacidosis, malignancies and totally parenteral alimentation. In contrast chronic, permanent lactic acidemia and lactic aciduria may point to one of several and usually severe inherited metabolic diseases of gluconeogenesis, pyruvate oxidation, the Krebs cycle or the respiratory chain. Clinical hints for a stepwise differential diagnosis are presented.