HYPOPLASTIC ENAMEL ASSOCIATED WITH THE NEPHROTIC SYNDROME

Abstract

A high incidence of enamel hypoplasia in permanent teeth was found in children with the nephrotic syndrome. There was a correlation between the time of severe renal disease and the estimated time at which faulty enamel was formed. The absence of fluorescence of the defective teeth upon exposure to ultraviolet light suggests that tetracycline therapy was not a causative factor. Other possible causes of the defect include corticosteroid therapy and metabolic disturbances associated with the nephrotic syndrome. Final identification of the etiological factor remains uncertain.