This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Mihailidou, H. Articles by Mantzouranis, E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Mihailidou, H. Articles by Mantzouranis, E. Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

Pica and the Elephant's Ear

Department of Pediatrics University General Hospital

Emmanouil Galanakis, MD

Department of Pediatrics University General Hospital and School of Health Sciences University of Crete

Penelope Paspalaki, MD

Department of Pediatrics University General Hospital

Pelagia Borgia, MD

Department of Pediatrics University General Hospital

Evangelia Mantzouranis, MD

Department of Pediatrics University General Hospital and School of Health Sciences University of Crete Heraklion, Crete, Greece

This is a case report of an otherwise healthy 2-year-old boy with a history of pica, associated with iron deficiency anemia. This boy was referred to our department for a neurologic evaluation because of an acute episode of sialorrhea, difficulty in speaking, dysphagia, and repeated swallowing movements. An uncertain episode of a brief-duration still gaze was also reported. In addition, the history revealed that the child had earlier ingested a leaf from a poisonous houseplant called Colocasia esculenta, also known as "elephant's ear." The habit of pica subsided after treatment with iron supplements. A 9-month follow-up period was uneventful. Neurologic manifestations can accompany accidental intoxications of some non-nutrient substances. Thus, pica must be suspected in children with acute behavior alterations. (J Child Neurol 2002;17: 855—856).

Journal of Child Neurology, Vol. 17, No. 11, 855-856 (2002)
DOI: 10.1177/08830738020170111705


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?