Paget's disease of bone (Osteitis deformans)

Paget's disease of bone is important in geriatric populations because it is the second most common bone disorder after osteoporosis. In older people, it may be responsible for chronic back pain and joint pain, skeletal deformities, hearing loss, and cranial nerve compression. Paget's disease can reduce both function and mobility in the older people. In addition to newer tests for assessing the activity of Paget's disease, effective therapy is available in the form of salmon calcitonin for nasal administration and new third generation bisphosphonates. Frequently, treatment can reverse the course of the disease. For these reasons, it is feasible for the physician to adopt an aggressive approach to diagnosis and treatment. The objective should be to relieve pain, improve mobility, and forestall debilitating complications. This review will focus on the manifestations and clinical management of Paget's disease. Two cases are presented that illustrate common management problems in older patients.