Failure to thrive, vomiting and diarrhea. More than gastrointestinal diseases

Renal tubular acidosis is a group of disorders with metabolic acidosis, in which tubular function is impaired while glomerular function is preserved. They are caused by an impairment in the bicarbonate’s renal tubular reabsorption and/or in the urine excretion of hydrogen. The etiology of tubular acidosis is diverse. We should think of it in an infant with vomiting, polyuria, dehydration and poor weight gain. The prognosis is variable, it depends on whether it is a primary or a secondary form and on how prompt the treatment is instituted. We present a patient with primary distal tubular acidosis diagnosed at 3 months of age with poor weight gain.