Acute hypervitaminosis A of the infant; its clinical manifestation with benign acute hydrocephalus and pronounced bulge of the fontanel; a clinical and biologic study.

Abstract

CHRONIC hypervitaminosis A accidents are now well known, through the works of Rodahl and Moore and Josephs, and especially through the mainly experimental observations of Toomey and Morisette and, later of Rothman and Leon. There are various publications on this subject in the medical literature. Our purpose is to draw attention to the acute incidents which may follow the administration of very large quantities of vitamin A in the infant. These incidents are especially characterized by acute hydrocephalus, with spontaneous and intensive bulging of the fontanel, frequent vomiting, agitation, or insomnia, and this without any meningeal sign or disorder in the general status. The disturbances begin 12 hours after ingestion of the drug and end 24 to 48 hours later, spontaneously or after lumbar puncture. Since we first described, in February, 1951, 1 the syndrome of acute and benign hydrocephalus in the infant following the ingestion of a large amount