Long-term treatment of familial hypophosphatemic rickets with oral phosphate and 1 alpha-hydroxyvitamin D3.

Combined treatment with oral phosphate and 1 alpha (OH)D3 was carried out in nine children with familial hypophosphatemic rickets. All nine had positive responses over a four- to six-year period as judged by healing of rickets, change in growth rate, decrease in alkaline phosphatase activity, and symptomatic improvement. In two patients therapy was stopped for a short time because of hypercalcemia. In one patient in whom therapy was effective there was a significant reduction in creatinine clearance which necessitated cessation of treatment. The results of this study suggest that combined treatment with 1 alpha(OH)D3 and oral phosphate is an effective form of therapy for this condition, but that the balancing of these two modalities of therapy in each patient is essential if hypercalcemia and hypercalciuria, on the one hand, and secondary hyperparathyroidism, on the other, are to be avoided. A simple means of balancing these therapeutic modalities is suggested.