November 17, 2001
Diagnosis and Symptoms
Question from Largo, Florida, USA:
My six year old son has sinus histiocytosis with massive lymphadenopathy, and I understand that with this disease he may also contract diabetes mellitus. He eats well but does not gain weight, is very thirsty, and urinates a lot. His urine also smells very sweet almost like syrup sometimes, and he had positive urine ketones, but his blood sugar tested fine. His doctor does not seem to have much concern, but I feel he needs to have further testing. It may be a case in which he is doing well right now, but I would like to make sure that he will be healthy in the long run. Where do I need to start?
Answer:
You should be consulting closely with your son’s pediatrician or family physician about such questions. They are difficult to answer without examining your child, seeing the biopsy reports, etc.
Ketones only mean that the body is burning/utilizing fats for energy. Diabetes is diagnosed with blood glucose testing. If you have some worries about his urine pattern or odors, please consult with your son’s physician so that you and the doctor can decide if special metabolic testing is needed, consultation with metabolic specialists is needed, etc.
SB
