Encephalopathy From Lead Poisoning Masquerading as a Flu-Like Syndrome in an Autistic Child

Acute encephalopathy from childhood lead poisoning is fortunately rare. However, in pediatric patients with developmental disabilities and pica, there is a risk of lead exposure at a dose commensurate with encephalopathy, coupled with a risk of delayed diagnosis because of difficulty in distinguishing between baseline and altered behavior. We report here a 4-year old autistic boy who presented to the pediatrician's office with gastrointestinal symptoms and behavioral changes and was at first thought to have a viral syndrome. He returned 2 days later with a worsening illness; increasing pallor, vomiting, abdominal colic, and changes in consciousness were recognized in the emergency department as lead-induced anemia and encephalopathy, associated with a positive abdominal film for paint chips and a blood lead level equal to 216 mu g/dL (10.43 mu mol/L) (reference, <10 mu g/dL or 0.483 mu mol/L). As this case illustrates, prompt recognition is dependent on the skills and suspicions of an astute clinician, especially in the busy emergency department.