[Carbonic anhydrase II deficiency: osteopetrosis, renal tubular acidosis and intracranial calcifications. Review of the literature and 3 cases].

Three children in two unrelated families are affected by carbonic anhydrase II (CA II) deficiency. This disease has been reported in 27 other patients to date; the study of the pedigrees indicates that it is supported by autosomal recessive inheritance. All the patients have a very high CA I/CA II ratio (greater than 10(4) versus 6 to 10 in controls) and carrier detection is possible in obligate heterozygotes (CA I/CA II = 12 to 17). The clinical presentation consists in renal tubular acidosis, osteopetrosis and cerebral calcifications. The long term follow-up of these patients shows that the prognosis is mainly of neurological and mental expression.