Two New Fact Sheets About Paget’s Disease

Format: Fact Sheet
Institute: National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Paget’s disease is a chronic disorder characterized by excessive breakdown and formation of bone tissue, which can result in enlarged, misshapen, and weakened bones; bone pain; and fractures. Unlike osteoporosis, which affects all the bones in the body, Paget’s disease typically is localized, affecting just one or a few bones. An estimated one million people in the U.S. have Paget’s disease.

Many people with Paget’s disease do not know they have it. There may be no symptoms, or they may be very mild. Sometimes the symptoms are mistaken for something else, such as arthritis. In other cases, complications, such as arthritis or nervous system disorders, have developed before the diagnosis of Paget’s disease is made.

Two new fact sheets address questions you may have about Paget’s disease. The first, Information for Patients About Paget’s Disease of Bone, addresses the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment options. The second, How is Paget’s Disease of Bone Diagnosed?, provides more detail about the three types of tests—x rays, blood tests, and bone scans—that are commonly used to diagnose Paget’s disease.

Next Steps
You can view these fact sheets online and or download them in PDF format by visiting http://www.niams.nih.gov/bone/. For more information on bone health, contact the NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases National Resource Center at 1-800-624-2663 or NIAMSBoneInfo@mail.nih.gov. For more information about Paget’s disease, contact the Paget Foundation for Paget’s Disease of Bone and Related Disorders at 1-800 23-PAGET (1-800-237-2438), or PagetFdn@aol.com.