Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.57.9.716 on 1 September 1982. Downloaded from 716 Meadow and Berg less wetness. This overall improvement is presumably 2 Berg I. Day wetting in children. J ChildPsychol Psychiatry explained by placebo effect and spontaneous 1979; 20: 167-73. 3 Fielding D. The response of day and night wetting remission rate. The failure of maximum bladder children and children who wet only at night to retention capacities to show any substantial increase corre- control training and the enuresis alarm. Behav Res Ther sponding to this improvement is further evidence 1980; 18: 305-17. of the unsatisfactory nature of this measure.3 6 4 Shaffer D. Enuresis. In: Rutter M, Hersov L, eds. Child psychiatry: modern approaches. Oxford: Blackwell, 1977: Our trial suggests that imipramine, which is 599-600. potentially dangerous because of the risks of 5 Huitema B C. The analysis of covariance and alternatives. accidental or deliberate overdose, should not be used New York: Wiley, 1980. for the treatment of children with diurnal enuresis. 6 Berg I, Forsythe I, McGuire R. Response of bedwetting to the enuresis alarm. Influence of psychiatric disturbance and maximum functional bladder capacity. We thank Ciba-Geigy for supporting this trial, and Arch Dis Child 1982; 57: 394-6. Mrs Wendy Pearson for assistance. Correspondence to Professor S R Meadow, Department of References Paediatrics and Child Health, St James's University Hospital, Clinical Sciences Building, Beckett Street, Leeds LS9 7TF. Berg I, Fielding D, Meadow R. Psychiatric disturbance, urgency, and bacteriuria in children with day and night wetting. Arch Dis Child 1977; 52: 651-7. Received 12 May 1982 Familial benign copper deficiency K MEHES AND EVA PETROVICZ Department ofPaediatrics, County Hospital, Gydr, Hungary copyright. SUMMARY Hypocupraemia with normal caerulo- months he was admitted to hospital because of a plasmin levels was found in a 21-month-old boy seizure and subsequent hypotonia. On admission seizures there were no abnormal physical, neurological, or admitted to hospital because of repeated biochemical findings except for moderate anaemia. and failure to thrive. He had blonde curly hair, Serum copper level was not determined. As there spurring of the femora and tibiae, and mild anaemia, were no symptoms he was discharged 6 days later. but his mental development, electroencephalogram, http://adc.bmj.com/ and structure of the hair on microscopical examina- During the next year, although his psychomotor tion were normal. There was a general improvement development was good, weight gain was poor and in his condition with supplements of oral copper he had frequent infections. but as soon as these were reduced or stopped hypocu- At age 21 months he was referred to our depart- praemia and seizures resumed. Family investigation ment because of seizures and hypotonic attacks. showed copper deficiency with mild symptoms in the On admission his weight was below the 3rd centile, mother and the maternal uncle. The pedigree suggests but height and head circumference were between the 10th and 25th centiles. His appearance was charac- on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected possible autosomal dominant or X-linked dominant teristic with a broad nasal bridge, Cupid's bow upper transmission. lip, and blonde curly hair (Fig. 1). The skin on his face was moderately seborrhoeic. Muscle tone, Although several conditions leading to sporadic mental development, electroencephalogram, and copper deficiency have been described, only two eyes were normal. Radiological skeletal survey diseases, Wilson's hepatolenticular degeneration and showed broadening and spurring of the femora Menkes's kinky-hair syndrome, are regarded as and tibiae. Skeletal age corresponded to the chrono- inherited abnormalities of copper metabolism.' logical age. On microscopical examination the child's We report on what is perhaps a new form of hair showed normal structure. familial hypocupraemia. Levels of serum glucose, electrolytes, pH, calcium, magnesium, zinc, immunoglobulins, hepa- Case report tic and renal function tests, urine analysis, blood and The propositus, birthweight 2.95 kg, had a normal urine amino-acid chromatography, glycosamino- delivery and no perinatal complications. At age 6 glycan excretion were all normal. Stool bacteriology Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.57.9.716 on 1 September 1982. Downloaded from Familial benign copper deficiency 717 Cu Sq4 supplementation (mg/24h) 75 7-5 a0 20 <15 10 0 0 a % {A 5 al J Seizures 4 $ I 21 24 30 36 40 Age (month) Fig. 2 E;Ject of copper supplementation on plasma copper level and neurological symptoms of the patient. supplementation to 11 2-270 ,umol/l (62.6-150.8 ,ug/100ml) with normal TIBC values. The copper Fig. 1 Appearance of the propositus at age 21 months. content of the hair was first measured at that time; it pro,ved to be high, 62.4 ,ug/g. and parasitology were negative. Haematological studies showed hypochromic anaemia: Hb 10. 5 g/dl, Family investigation haematocrit 32%, white blood count 10-5 x 109/l, platelets 180x 109/l. The serum iron level was Seven family members were examined and bio- copyright. extremely low, 4-6 ,mol/l (25.7 ,ug/100ml). The chemically tested. serum copper concentrations were also very low, The father and the two brothers were physically 7 8 and 7.0 ,amol/l (49.7 and 44.6 ±g/100 ml), but and biochemically normal. Their serum copper caeruloplasmin levels were repeatedly normal, 0.30 levels varied between 20.9 and 23.5-5mol/l (133 and to 0-44 g/l. Urinary copper excretion proved to be 149-7 ,ug/100 ml). 26.4 [Lg/24h (0-4 ,umol/24h). (Normal values in our The mother of our patient was a 28-year-old, laboratory: serum iron 9.5-26.8 ,mol/l, serum conspicuously thin woman. She had always been copper 12.4-20.0 ,±mol/l, caeruloplasmin 0.30-0-56 pale and susceptible to recurrent infections but she http://adc.bmj.com/ g/l, urinary copper excretion 15-45 [g/24h for had never had seizures. Her face was seborrhoeic, the children, and 20-130 ,ug/24h for adults.) Copper hair thin. She complained of increasing loss of hair, concentrations were measured by means of atomic in consequence of which she was almost bald at the absorption spectrophotometry, caeruloplasmin by a top of the head. Serum copper levels were sub- radial immunodiffusion method. normal, 11-0 and 10.4 t±mol/l (70 and 66,ug/100 ml), Since the clinical picture correlated well with Hb 11.3 and 11.0 g/dl, urinary copper output 128 -0 hypocupraemia, we started the patient on supple- t±g/24h (2 ,umol/24h). The copper content of her hair ments of oral copper in the form of copper sulphate was moderately decreased, 13-0 Vg/g. on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected syrup. The results and course of treatment are shown The mother's brother was also thin. As a child he in Fig. 2. had often been ill, but had never had seizures. He had Supplements of 7.5 mg elementary copper per had blonde, extremely curly hair, but had been bald 24 hours kept the serum copper level normal. If this since aged about 24 years. His skin was seborrhoeic. dose was reduced or stopped concentrations were His serum copper level was 10 4 V±mol/l (66 pLg/ again very low and the child became unconscious 100 ml), caeruloplasmin 0- 36 g/l. His two sons were for short periods and seizures were resumed; twice healthy; they had no seizures, and their hair was he had hypotonia. With copper supplements the brown and slightly curly. Their serum copper concen- child thrived and his weight reached the 10th centile. trations varied between 13.4 and 17.0 ,umol/l At age 40 months his IQ was 104, and the electro- (85.4 and 108 ,ug/100 ml). encephalogram normal. Although he received no The diet of the family members was mixed, and iron therapy, the anaemia disappeared, the serum certainly contained satisfactory quantities of copper, iron levels increased after 2 months of copper iron, and vitamins. Arch Dis Child: first published as 10.1136/adc.57.9.716 on 1 September 1982. Downloaded from 718 Mehes and Petrovicz Discussion The inheritance of copper deficiency in the family examined may represent an autosomal or an X- Copper deficiency has been noted in infants of low linked dominant trait. birthweight, in malnourished babies, in infants fed with a milk formula of low copper content, in patients receiving prolonged parenteral nutrition or References alkali medication for renal acidosis, or on long-term Sass-Kortsak A, Bearn A G. Hereditary disorders of zinc therapy. All these causes could be excluded in copper metabolism. In: Stanbury J B, Wyngaarden J B, our patient and in his family. Fredrickson D S, eds. The metabolic basis of inherited The face and the curly hair of the propositus disease, fourth edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978: 1090-126. suggested Menkes's syndrome. However, this in- 2 Williams D M, Atkin C L, Frens D B, Bray P F. Menkes herited copper deficiency is characterised by severe kinky hair syndrome: studies of copper metabolism and neurological deterioration leading to death by 3 to long term copper therapy. Pediatr Res 1977; 11: 823-6. 4 years, by pili torti, tortuosity of arteries, and 3 Procopis P, Camakaris J, Danks D M. A mild form of decreased caeruloplasmin levels. None of these Menkes steely hair syndrome. J Pediatr 1981; 98: 97-9. 4 Calderon R, Gonzalez-Cantu N. Kinky hair, photo- features was found in our patient, and in Menkes's sensitivity, broken eyebrows and eyelashes, and non- syndrome oral administration of copper is generally progressive mental retardation.