Paget Disease
Alternate Names : Osteitis Deformans
Paget disease is a condition that causes alternating cycles of bone destruction
and bone reconstruction. This disease tends to slowly get worse over time.
What is going on in the body?
Paget disease alternately destroys and then reconstructs bone.
Normal bone is replaced with excessive amounts of abnormal bone. The abnormal
bone has less calcium and is weaker.
What are the causes and risks of the disease?
The cause of Paget disease remains unclear. Some theories about the cause of
Paget disease include:
an autoimmune disorder, in which a person's immune
system attacks his or her own body
a genetic disorder, since the condition often occurs in more than one
family member
a hormone disorder, in which the body produces abnormal amounts of hormones
that regulate bone maintenance
an inflammatory condition or an immune response to injury
a metabolic disorder, or abnormalities in physical and chemical processes
within the body
a slow viral infection
Paget disease is thought to affect about 3% of the population older than 40.
The disease is twice as common in males. Paget disease is also more common in
the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. It is less common in Asia,
Africa, and Scandinavia. In the U.S., it is more common in the northern states
and less common in the southern states.
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