Diagnosis and treatment of Paget's disease of bone

Paget's disease of bone (also known as osteitis deformans) is a nonmalignant disease involving accelerated bone resorption followed by deposition of dense, chaotic, and ineffectively mineralized bone matrix. The origin of the disease is unknown, and it is frequently asymptomatic; however, the patient may present with symptoms depending on the bones involved. The most common symptom is pain in the affected bone; neurologic, hearing, vision, cardiac, and oncologic complications are possible. Diagnosis is primarily made by radiographs. Bisphosphonates are the most common treatment. Copyright(C) 2002 American Academy of Family Physicians.