Paget's disease of bone

Paget's disease (Synonym: osteitis deformans) is the second most common metabolic bone disease after osteoporosis and is the commonest cause of bone dysplasia. (1)

• it is characterised by one or more areas of aggressive osteoclast-mediated bone resorption followed by imperfect osteoblast-mediated bone repair

Involvement of the disease is monostotic in 15% of cases and polyostotic in the remainder.

• can affect any bone but frequently the axial skeleton is involved. The usual sites include
  • pelvis
  • femur
  • lumbar spine
  • skull
  • tibia
• when long bones are affected they may become bowed
• thickening of the skull may lead to compression of cranial nerves with consequent palsies.

Many cases of Paget's disease are asymptomatic.

Reference:

1. Cook SJ, Wall C. Paget's disease of bone: A clinical update. Aust J Gen Pract. 2021 Jan-Feb;50(1-2):23-29.