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Geophagia

MedGen UID:
115912
•Concept ID:
C0232480
•
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Synonym: Geophagy
SNOMED CT: Geophagia (5917004)
 
HPO: HP:0025062

Definition

The practice of eating earth or soil-like substrates such as clay or chalk. [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVGeophagia

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Geophagic Clays from Cameroon: Provenance, Metal Contamination and Health Risk Assessment.
Ekosse GI, Nkeng GE, Bukalo N, Oyebanjo O
Int J Environ Res Public Health 2021 Aug 5;18(16) doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168315. PMID: 34444064Free PMC Article
Potential health risk assessment of toxic metals contamination in clay eaten as pica (geophagia) among pregnant women of Ho in the Volta Region of Ghana.
Kortei NK, Koryo-Dabrah A, Akonor PT, Manaphraim NYB, Ayim-Akonor M, Boadi NO, Essuman EK, Tettey C
BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2020 Mar 14;20(1):160. doi: 10.1186/s12884-020-02857-4. PMID: 32169034Free PMC Article
Soil ingestion by humans: a review of history, data, and etiology with application to risk assessment of radioactively contaminated soil.
Simon SL
Health Phys 1998 Jun;74(6):647-72. doi: 10.1097/00004032-199806000-00003. PMID: 9600298

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Iron deficiency and soil-transmitted helminth infection: classic and neglected connections.
Ellwanger JH, Ziliotto M, Kulmann-Leal B, Chies JAB
Parasitol Res 2022 Dec;121(12):3381-3392. Epub 2022 Oct 19 doi: 10.1007/s00436-022-07697-z. PMID: 36258094
Soil-Transmitted Helminthic Infections and Geophagia among Pregnant Women in Jimma Town Health Institutions, Southwest Ethiopia.
Getachew M, Yeshigeta R, Tiruneh A, Alemu Y, Dereje E, Mekonnen Z
Ethiop J Health Sci 2021 Sep;31(5):1033-1042. doi: 10.4314/ejhs.v31i5.16. PMID: 35221621Free PMC Article
Sources and seroprevalence of toxocariasis in Turkey.
Taylan-Ozkan A
Adv Parasitol 2020;109:465-482. Epub 2020 Feb 10 doi: 10.1016/bs.apar.2020.01.021. PMID: 32381213
Geophagia, nutrition and health of women with pregnancy-induced hypertension.
Sackey DS, Larbie C, Mensah FO
Afr Health Sci 2018 Dec;18(4):1243-1254. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v18i4.46. PMID: 30766591Free PMC Article
Baylisascariasis.
Gavin PJ, Kazacos KR, Shulman ST
Clin Microbiol Rev 2005 Oct;18(4):703-18. doi: 10.1128/CMR.18.4.703-718.2005. PMID: 16223954Free PMC Article

Diagnosis

The Neurology and Psychopathology of Pica.
Schnitzler E
Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2022 Aug;22(8):531-536. Epub 2022 Jun 8 doi: 10.1007/s11910-022-01218-2. PMID: 35674869
Sources and seroprevalence of toxocariasis in Turkey.
Taylan-Ozkan A
Adv Parasitol 2020;109:465-482. Epub 2020 Feb 10 doi: 10.1016/bs.apar.2020.01.021. PMID: 32381213
Fifteen-minute consultation: the child with pica.
McNaughten B, Bourke T, Thompson A
Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed 2017 Oct;102(5):226-229. Epub 2017 May 9 doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2016-312121. PMID: 28487433
Baylisascariasis.
Gavin PJ, Kazacos KR, Shulman ST
Clin Microbiol Rev 2005 Oct;18(4):703-18. doi: 10.1128/CMR.18.4.703-718.2005. PMID: 16223954Free PMC Article
Raccoon roundworm encephalitis.
Murray WJ, Kazacos KR
Clin Infect Dis 2004 Nov 15;39(10):1484-92. Epub 2004 Oct 27 doi: 10.1086/425364. PMID: 15546085

Therapy

Severe craving associated with kaolin consumption.
Pain S, Fauconneau B, Bouquet E, Vasse-Terrier L, Pérault-Pochat MC
Eat Weight Disord 2019 Apr;24(2):379-381. Epub 2018 Sep 25 doi: 10.1007/s40519-018-0583-1. PMID: 30255289
Global perspectives on trace element requirements.
Freeland-Graves JH, Sanjeevi N, Lee JJ
J Trace Elem Med Biol 2015;31:135-41. Epub 2014 May 24 doi: 10.1016/j.jtemb.2014.04.006. PMID: 24912973
Highlights of human toxocariasis.
Magnaval JF, Glickman LT, Dorchies P, Morassin B
Korean J Parasitol 2001 Mar;39(1):1-11. doi: 10.3347/kjp.2001.39.1.1. PMID: 11301585Free PMC Article
The public health importance of Ascaris lumbricoides.
O'Lorcain P, Holland CV
Parasitology 2000;121 Suppl:S51-71. doi: 10.1017/s0031182000006442. PMID: 11386692
Geophagia in Turkey: iron and zinc deficiency, iron and zinc absorption studies and response to treatment with zinc in geophagia cases.
Cavdar AO, Arcasoy A, Cin S, Babacan E, Gözdasoğlu S
Prog Clin Biol Res 1983;129:71-97. PMID: 6657708

Prognosis

Prospective case-series analysis of haematological malignancies in goldmining areas in South Africa.
Danjou A, Patel M, Espina C, Pentz A, Joffe M, Winde F, Schüz J
S Afr Med J 2019 Apr 29;109(5):340-346. doi: 10.7196/SAMJ.2019.v109i5.13538. PMID: 31131802
Visceral larva migrans presenting with hypereosinophilia.
Ecevit Ç, Bağ Ö, Vergin C, Öztürk A
Turkiye Parazitol Derg 2013;37(1):58-60. doi: 10.5152/tpd.2013.15. PMID: 23619050
Geophagia is not associated with Trichuris or hookworm transmission in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Young SL, Goodman D, Farag TH, Ali SM, Khatib MR, Khalfan SS, Tielsch JM, Stoltzfus RJ
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2007 Aug;101(8):766-72. Epub 2007 Jun 12 doi: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.04.016. PMID: 17568644Free PMC Article
Baylisascariasis.
Gavin PJ, Kazacos KR, Shulman ST
Clin Microbiol Rev 2005 Oct;18(4):703-18. doi: 10.1128/CMR.18.4.703-718.2005. PMID: 16223954Free PMC Article
Pica in an urban environment.
Edwards CH, Johnson AA, Knight EM, Oyemade UJ, Cole OJ, Westney OE, Jones S, Laryea H, Westney LS
J Nutr 1994 Jun;124(6 Suppl):954S-962S. doi: 10.1093/jn/124.suppl_6.954S. PMID: 8201446

Clinical prediction guides

Non-endemic skeletal fluorosis: Causes and associated secondary hyperparathyroidism (case report and literature review).
Cook FJ, Seagrove-Guffey M, Mumm S, Veis DJ, McAlister WH, Bijanki VN, Wenkert D, Whyte MP
Bone 2021 Apr;145:115839. Epub 2021 Jan 6 doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2021.115839. PMID: 33418099Free PMC Article
Soil ingestion among young children in rural Bangladesh.
Kwong LH, Ercumen A, Pickering AJ, Unicomb L, Davis J, Leckie JO, Luby SP
J Expo Sci Environ Epidemiol 2021 Feb;31(1):82-93. Epub 2019 Oct 31 doi: 10.1038/s41370-019-0177-7. PMID: 31673039Free PMC Article
Clinical, immunological, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant roles of zinc.
Prasad AS
Exp Gerontol 2008 May;43(5):370-7. Epub 2007 Nov 1 doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2007.10.013. PMID: 18054190
Geophagia is not associated with Trichuris or hookworm transmission in Zanzibar, Tanzania.
Young SL, Goodman D, Farag TH, Ali SM, Khatib MR, Khalfan SS, Tielsch JM, Stoltzfus RJ
Trans R Soc Trop Med Hyg 2007 Aug;101(8):766-72. Epub 2007 Jun 12 doi: 10.1016/j.trstmh.2007.04.016. PMID: 17568644Free PMC Article
Geophagia in Turkey: iron and zinc deficiency, iron and zinc absorption studies and response to treatment with zinc in geophagia cases.
Cavdar AO, Arcasoy A, Cin S, Babacan E, Gözdasoğlu S
Prog Clin Biol Res 1983;129:71-97. PMID: 6657708

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