Patient's question:
A few years ago, I was misdiagnosed with rickets, and now my bones are very hard and overly dense. It's called "facial grimace syndrome." I'm very thin, have muscle weakness, and even my appearance has changed. Due to my small kneecaps, I always struggle to lift my legs when walking, especially when going up stairs. Simply put, it's an excess of calcium and phosphorus in the bones, which is the opposite of osteoporosis. Could you tell me what medication might help my condition? I've been to the hospital, but doctors say there's nothing they can do. I've heard that some medications can block the absorption of calcium in the intestines, as well as drugs for treating vitamin D toxicity. I don't know if that would be helpful. Please advise. Thank you. 20 years old, male.Doctor's answer:
It is not possible to develop calcium deficiency to the extent of what is referred to as the "ghost face."If the girl Linlin mentioned in the article is real, her facial symptoms are quite typical of "hypothyroidism." It is another rare genetic-related disease.
However, the fact is that after we contacted the pediatric department of the Third People's Hospital of Zhengzhou mentioned in the article for information, the rumor was immediately exposed. The information we received is as follows: the hospital does not have a doctor named Hu Shanshan, nor a director named Zhu. It has also never treated a girl named Linlin, nor has it heard of any "ghost face syndrome." At this point, the truth has been revealed: this is entirely a deliberately fabricated, malicious rumor.
Nutritional surveys tell us that children, the elderly, and postmenopausal women in China are generally calcium-deficient. This severely affects children's growth and development and people's health quality. A recent comparative study shows that the average height of young people in China is 17 centimeters shorter than that of young people in Japan. This is a significant issue that concerns the physical health of our entire nation. It also indicates that Chinese children and adolescents face multiple nutritional deficiencies during their development, including calcium deficiency.