WHAT IS PAGET'S DISEASE?

by The National Association for the Relief of Paget's Disease

Paget's Disease of Bone is a metabolic bone disorder of unknown origin which normally affects older people. Bone is a living tissue and is constantly being renewed.

Paget's disease of bone causes an increased and irregular formation of bone as the bone cells, which are responsible for dissolving the body's old bone and replacing it with new, become out of control.

Over a period of time the deformed new bone becomes larger, weaker and has more blood vessels than normal bone. Unlike normal bone, the structure is irregular and consequently weaker, which makes it prone to fracture even after a minor injury.

In its mildest form the disease has no symptoms. In more severe cases the pain can be intense. The relentless progression of the disease may cause bones to bow, the skull may increase in size and the spinal column may curve.

As the bones enlarge they may cause pressure on nearby nerves which can result in muscle weakness. In the case of severe skull enlargement this pressure can result in deafness, disturbed vision, dizziness and tinnitus.

There are thought to be between 750,000 and 1,000,000 sufferers of Paget's disease in the United Kingdom so it is fortunate that only a small proportion of all patients experience significant symptoms.