Osteitis Deformans also known as Paget's disease is a slowly progressive disease that is congenital and may affect many members of a family. It is insidious in nature, as there may be no or minor symptoms at first. Generally there are 2 stages of Osteitis Deformans. In the first stage there will be the start of bone resorption. This is followed by the second stage when an osteoblastic action occurs with forming of new bone. Both of these stages can occur at the same time.
The individual is not aware that this is occurring because there are no symptoms at first. When symptoms start to occur, there will be bone pains that can start at different parts of the body. The pains will occur adjacent to a joint. As the disease progresses, there will be an overgrowth of bone tissue. The initial sign may be a blood test that shows an increase of the alkaline phosphatase. Another sign that the disease has triggered may be a routine x-ray that has been taken for a painful joint. The x-ray may show that there have been the beginnings of enlargement of the bone. If there is pain in the tibia, the x-ray may show signs of bowing of the tibia, which can occur in Osteitis Deformans. Generally the area most affected in this disease is the hip joint with significant over growth of bone in the area.
At this stage of the disease, the skull is also affected and will be enlarged. When this occurs, there may be a hearing loss that can affect one or both ears, depending on the degree of increased bone surrounding the areas of each ear. The enlargement of the skull may also affect the vision in one or both eyes. The enlargement of the skull can also have an impact on the teeth causing them to loosen. Chewing will then be a problem when this occurs. When Paget's disease affects a joint area, the joint usually will become arthritic as well. Another area that will be impacted by Paget's disease is the spinal column, causing a curvature of the spine, (kyphosis).
There may be other consequences as well for the patient with Osteitis Deformans. The patient may be prone to kidney stones, and arthritis of the joints. It can also cause the heart to increase its pumping capacity to provide more blood to the problematic areas affected by the disease, thus increasing the individual's heart rate. As stated before, Paget's disease can affect any part of the body at any given time. However, the areas mostly affected will occur in the following order, the pelvis, femur, skull, tibia, vertebrae, clavicle and humerus. At the first sign of any type of symptom, such as bone pain, soreness in a particular area with a burning sensation, the individual should visit their healthcare provider and discuss the symptoms with them. The doctor will do several tests in order to arrive at a definitive diagnosis.
These tests will include blood tests, including the alkaline phosphatase, x-rays and possibly a bone scan. Once a definitive diagnosis is made, the doctor will suggest a course of treatment. The treatment will probably consist of different kinds of medication. The patient should discuss these medications and their possible side affects with the doctor before starting the course of treatment. They also seek the advice of practioners of alternative medicine. The most important thing is to recognize this disease at its earliest stages and initiating a course of treatment. By doing so, the progression of the disease can be slowed down, lessening the more drastic affects caused by this devastating disease.