Kashin–Beck disease

The Kashin - Beck disease (also cashing - Beck disease, osteoarthropathy with dwarfism or nutritional articular cartilage degeneration ) is a deficiency disease, which was named after the Russian physician Nikolai Ivanovich Kashin and the US-American Melinda A. Beck.

It is endemic in northeastern Siberia, northern China, Tibet, Mongolia and North Korea, where about 3 million people are affected. Around the age of 5 show symmetrical deformities of the joints of the arms and legs by inhibition of skeletal growth. In the countries mentioned above, therefore, is also spoken of the " big bone disease." The victims also suffer from growth retardation as well as, occasionally, the bleeding.

The cause of selenium deficiency is discussed. However, Selenium substitution has no positive effect on already existing disease. Since the Kashin - Beck disease also affects the thyroid, a substitution with iodine may be useful.