[Limping in toddlers due to disorders of the spine and spinal cord]

Limping is a frequent symptom during childhood and can be caused by a variety ofdiseases, the most common causes being trauma and infections of the bones or joints. The authors describe three cases of limping in toddlers caused by infrequent spinal diseases. The toddlers presented with limping without a preceding trauma. In the first patient, an 18-month-old girl, the limping was caused by spondylodiscitis. She recovered completely after antibiotics. The second patient, a 13-month-old boy, presented with limping caused by neuroblastoma with extensive bone metastasis. Despite chemotherapy and partial resection of the neuroblastoma, the boy did not survive. In the last patient, a 19-month-old girl, the limping was caused by an intraspinal intramedullary astrocytoma. She recovered after partial resection of the tumour. In young children presenting with limping, diagnoses involving the spine should also be considered because early intervention can influence the prognosis favourably.