A type of metabolic disorder of the bone is termed as the Paget’s disease. This Paget’s disease is also termed as osteitis deformans. This disease is chronic in nature. Paget’s disease leads to the enlargement and the deformity of bones. This disease has derived its name from the name of the British surgeon, Sir James Paget. He was the first one to describe this disease.
In this Paget’s disease, the bone tissues are either excessively formed, or they are excessively broken down. This leads to either enlargement or deformity of the bones, thereby leading to the weakness of the bones. This weakness of the bone may cause a lot of discomfort in the patient like bone pain, arthritis, osteoporosis, etc.
There are certain particular things that need to be noted about the nature of this disease. Paget’s disease is very rare among patients below the age of 40 years. Moreover men are more prone to get the Paget’s disease than women, who are more prone to get osteoporosis, another disease of the bone. It must also be noted that the European, American, and Australian population are more prone to this disease than their African or Asian counterparts. This Paget’s disease is most common in the United Kingdom.
Paget's disease of bone Causes
Though the actual cause of Paget’s disease is still not known, but the deformation of bones as a result of it causes a lot of other bone-related complications.
On the other hand, it is also considered that the cause of the Paget's disease may be virus infection in a slow process. This infection might be present in the body for a long time before creating complications or showing any symptoms. The hereditary factor behind the Paget’s disease cannot be overlooked as well.
Paget's disease of bone Symptoms
Generally for most patients, no symptoms occur until the disease is accidentally diagnosed while diagnosing some other disease. The symptoms of Paget’s disease, when they occur, are as follows:
Pain in the joints
Pain in the bones
Bowing of the leg
Enlargement of the skull
Weakness of muscles
Fracturing of bones even from minor injuries
Acute arthritis
Deafness
Vision problems
Dizziness
Headaches
Paget's disease of bone Complications
With proper treatment, Paget’s disease does give some relief to the patient but nevertheless it does lead to further complications related to the bone particularly that cannot be avoided by any treatment. The most frequent areas where Paget’s disease can cause complications are:
The spine
The skull
The pelvis
The thighs
The lower portion of the legs
Other complications caused by Paget’s disease are:
Osteogenic sarcoma, a type of bone cancer can occur as a result of Paget’s disease, but this is extremely rare.
Arthritis
Loss of hearing
Cardiovascular disease
Sarcoma
Nervous system disorders
Kidney stones
Loosening of the teeth
Loss of vision
But it must be remembered that osteoporosis and Paget’s disease is not the same, though both of the diseases can occur in the same patient, thereby worsening the complications.
Paget's disease of bone Diagnosis
Among the following diagnostic tests, one or more might be needed to be used to diagnose Paget’s disease:
x-rays
Alkaline phosphate level in blood
Aminotransferase level
Bone scans
Paget's disease of bone Treatment
Since the origin or the cause of the disease is unknown, treatment becomes difficult. However, certain measures can be taken to give relief to the patient from the symptoms for the time being. They are:
Pain-killers
Anti-inflammatory drugs
Drugs to protect bone strength
Surgery
Proper diet with calcium and vitamin D
Excersise
Consultants
Due to the wide range of complications involved in Paget’s disease, a wide range of medical consultants are also needed for proper treatment of this disease. They are
Endocrinologists: for hormonal and metabolic problems
Rheumatologists: for muscle and joint problems
Orthopedic surgeons
Neurologists
Otolaryngologists
