Steinherz P G, Steinherz L J, Nisselbaum J S, Murphy M L
JAMA. 1984 Dec 21;252(23):3289-92.
Five children, aged 16 to 38 months, were found to have serum alkaline phosphatase levels seven to 30 times the upper limit of the reference range. Studies suggested a skeletal origin for the enzyme. No other abnormalities or explanations for the unusual enzyme levels were found. The enzyme levels returned to the reference range. A retrospective review of the records of 74 children with lymphoblastic leukemia, who were 2 to 4 years of age at diagnosis, disclosed only four cases of transient, isolated serum alkaline phosphatase elevation similar in degree to those described herein. The review covered 661 patient-years follow-up and 2,417 enzyme measurements. Benign, transient hyperphosphatasemia is a rarely recognized clinical entity. Awareness of this condition should curtail the extensive evaluation that may follow the detection of such an abnormality.
