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Paget's disease of bone causes your bones to grow larger and weaker than normal. They also might break easily. The disease can lead to other health problems, too, such as arthritis and hearing loss. You can have Paget's disease in any bone, but it is most common in the spine, pelvis, skull and legs. The disease might affect one or several bones, but not your entire skeleton. More men than women have the disease. It is most common in older people.
Many people do not know they have Paget's disease because their symptoms are mild. For others, symptoms can include
No one knows what causes Paget's disease. In some cases, a virus might be responsible. It tends to run in families. You can treat Paget's disease with medicine and sometimes surgery. A good diet and exercise might also help.
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
'''Paget's disease''', otherwise known as '''osteitis deformans''', is a chronic disorder that typically results in enlarged and deformed bones. It is named after Sir James Paget, the British surgeon who first described this disease. The excessive breakdown and formation of bone tissue that occurs with Paget's disease can cause bone to weaken, resulting in bone pain, arthritis, deformities, and fractures. Paget's disease may be caused by a slow virus infection, present for many years before symptoms appear. There is also a hereditary factor since the disease may appear in more than one family member. Paget's disease is rarely diagnosed in people under 40 years of age. Men and women are affected equally. Prevalence of Paget's disease ranges from 1.5 to 8 percent depending on age and country of residence. Prevalence of familial Paget's disease (where more than one family member has the disease) ranges from 10 to 40 percent in different parts of the world. Because early diagnosis and treatment is important, after age 40, siblings and children of someone with Paget's disease may wish to have an alkaline phosphatase blood test every 2 or 3 years. If the alkaline phosphatase level is above normal, other tests such as a bone-specific alkaline phosphatase test, bone scan, or x-ray can be performed.
Paget Foundation for Paget's Disease of Bone and Related Disorders - Information and programs for patients and medical professionals on Paget's disease of bone, primary hyperparathyroidism, fibrous dysplasia, osteopetrosis, breast cancer metastatic to bone, and prostate cancer metastatic to bone.
Paget's Disease of Bone New England Registry - This registry, based at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, is seeking enrollment of persons throughout New England with Paget's Disease. Learn more at the web site.
Miacalcin [Calcitonin (salmon)] - RxList Monographs - Description with links to full prescrbing information for this polypeptide hormone indicated for the treatment of symptomatic Paget's disease of bone, for the treatment of hypercalcemia, and for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis.