[Primary hyperoxaluria in children in central Tunisia].

AIM: The goal of this work is to analyze clinical and therapeutics particularities of primary hyperoxaluria in children in Tunisian centre.

METHODS

We studied retrospectively 15 cases of primary hyperoxaluria enrolled during 9 years period (1994-2002).

RESULTS

It is about 2 boys and 13 girls (sex - ratio = 4.5) aged 2 month to 13 years (mean age: 4 years). Six patients presented the infantile form and nine the juvenile form of HP. At the moment of diagnosis, renal function was normal in one patient, moderately altered in another and severely altered in the other patients. All patients had nephrocalcinosis and 6 among them radio-opaque renal calculi associated. Diagnosis of HP was established in 11 cases by hyperoxaluria and/or important hyperoxalemia or on the data of the renal biopsy and biochemical analysis of renal calculi in 4 cases. The so-called "maghrebin" mutation (Ile244Thr) sought-after in 9 children, has cannot be identified that in 2 among them. Eight patients died of the continuations of their illness. The seven other patients again in life present a terminal renal insufficiency treated by haemodialysis. No patient could benefit from organ transplantation.

CONCLUSION

Primary hyperoxaluria is a very heterogeneous disease on the plan clinic that genetic. In Tunisia where it constitutes a frequent cause of end stage renal failure, prenatal diagnosis of this disease is of a big interest.