Paget's disease is a progressive chronic skeletal condition characterized by abnormal development of bone, which can result in pain, deformities, bone fractures and arthritis. An estimated one million people in the United States live with Paget's disease.
Symptoms of Paget's disease include pain, broken bones, enlarged bones, and damage to the cartilage in the joints. The abnormal bone growth can cause bowed legs and enlarged bone structure in the face, but the most common symptom of Paget's disease is bone pain, caused by the unusually fast growth of new bones. Complications associated with Paget's disease include osteoarthritis, heart failure, fractures and deformities, and in rare cases bone cancer.
The cause of Paget's disease is unknown, but risk factors include aging, being male, ethnicity, and a family history of the condition.
Medication is usually prescribed to treat Paget's disease. Drug classes commonly prescribed to treat the condition are oral bisphosphonate bone calcium regulators and injectable bisphosphonate bone calcium regulators.
