Paget Disease

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• Paget Disease Overview
• Paget Disease Causes
• Paget Disease Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Paget Disease Treatment
• Next Steps
• For More Information
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Viewer Comments: Paget's Disease - Symptoms

Paget Disease Overview

Paget disease of the bone is the second most common bone disorder in elderly patients. (Osteoporosis is the most common.) Paget disease is a disorder that affects the normal remodeling process of bone. In normal bone, the bone constantly remodels. In the remodeling process, old bone is removed and new bone is formed. In patients with Paget disease, this process is altered. These patients have an excessive amount of bone resorption (removal) followed by an even more excessive amount of new bone formation. Unfortunately, this increased rate of bone remodeling leads to new bone that is not as strong as normal bone. This abnormal bone is weaker, has more blood vessels, and is larger in size than normal bone. While most cases do not cause symptoms, some patients may develop pain, fractures, or even malignant transformation into sarcoma (bone tumor), although this is rare.

Men are affected by Paget disease slightly more often than women (3:2 male-to-female ratio). Paget disease is more common in patients of Northern European ancestry, most commonly in those from Great Britain. It is rare in Asia and Africa. It is more common with increasing age, typically diagnosed in people in their 50s. Up to three million people in the United States are estimated to have Paget disease.

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Paget's Disease - Symptoms

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The symptoms of Paget's disease vary from patient to patient. What were the symptoms at the onset of your disease?

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