Information About Paget’s Disease of Bones

Paget's disease is a metabolic bone disease, occurring in the middle aged and elderly peoples. The other name of Paget's disease is osteitis deformans. It is a chronic condition in which both the breakdown and formation of bone tissue are increased, which result in deformity. It is most frequently occur in the pelvic and leg bones, skull, and lower spine. It may lead to bone pain, 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 may affect only one or two areas of your body, or may be widespread. Paget's disease tends to appear in families. It can be present in as many as 25 percent to 40 percent of the relatives of someone with the disease. It is also more common in people of Anglo-Saxon descent. Many patients do not know they have Paget's disease because they have a mild case with no symptoms. Sometimes, symptoms may be confused with those of arthritis or other disorders.

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.

Paget's disease is uncommon in people younger than 40 years of age. It is more common as people age. There are no known ways to prevent Paget's disease from occurring. Eating a healthy diet with sufficient calcium and vitamin D and getting exercise are important components in maintaining skeletal health and joint mobility.

Paget's disease causes bones to grow too large and weak. You can have Paget's disease in any bones in your body, but most people have it in their spine, pelvis, skull, or leg bones. The disease may affect only one bone or several bones, but it does not affect the entire skeleton. Bones with Paget's disease may break more easily, and the disease can lead to other health problems.

Paget's disease, also called osteitis deformans, is a chronic bone disorder in which there is abnormal bone remodeling (the process of bone breakdown and rebuilding). With Paget's disease, bone is broken down more quickly, and is then replaced with softer, more porous bone. As a result, affected bones become thicker, weaker, and deformed. It usually affects the bones of the skull, pelvis, collarbone, spine, and legs.

Healthy bone tissue has an ordered structure that gives the bone its strength. Bones affected by Paget's disease, however, have a structure that is disorganized. This disorganized structure weakens the diseased bone and makes people suffering from this disease more likely to have fractures. These fractures are slow to heal.