Definition | Paget's disease – deforming osteitis

Paget's disease, also known as deforming osteitis, is a chronic disease characterized by increased bone turnover. The bone tissue is destroyed in places and multiplies anarchically in others, due to an overactivity and an abnormality (larger than normal) of osteoclasts (cells that destroy bone). This results in a hypertrophy, deformation and weakening of the bone. The attacks are most often localized at the level of the pool, lumbar vertebrae, of femur, the spine and skull.

Paget's disease affects 3% to 4% of people over the age of 45 and twice as many men as women, with a high incidence genetic.

Paget's disease: symptoms

The course of Paget's disease is slow and variable. It is often discovered fortuitously during a standard radiological assessment. Several clinical signs can be revealing:

• bone deformities (enlarged skull, tibia curved, flattening of thorax, kyphosis of the spine…);
• osteoarthritis and joint pain ;
• headache due to compression nervous;
• tired ;
• fractures.

The diagnostic is confirmed by a scintigraphy bone and a blood Review (increased phosphatase alkaline).

Paget's disease can give rise to complications: edema local, deafness, compression of the spinal cord, high blood pressure…

Paget's disease: course and treatment

In the majority of cases, the disease is mild. It often happens that it normalizes itself without any treatment. About 1% of patients develop a Cancer bone, where the prognosis is much less favorable. When the symptoms are disabling or cause complications, treatment with bisphosphonates or calcitonin, which slow down the absorption bone, sometimes with supplementation calcium and vitamin D. This treatment must be followed for several years to stabilize and normalize the activity of bone tissue.