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Medical Author:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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Medical Editor:

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD

Catherine Burt Driver, MD, is board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Driver is a member of the American College of Rheumatology. She currently is in active practice in the field of rheumatology in Mission Viejo, Calif., where she is a partner in Mission Internal Medical Group.

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In this Article

• What is Paget's disease?
• What causes Paget's disease?
• What are Paget's disease symptoms?
• How is Paget's disease diagnosed?
• What is the treatment for Paget's disease?
• What is the prognosis for Paget's disease?
• Who discovered Paget's disease?
• Where can I find more information about Paget's disease?
• Paget's Disease At A Glance
• Patient Comments: Paget's Disease - Symptoms
• Find a local Rheumatologist in your town
• Paget's Disease Index

The outlook is generally good, particularly if treatment is given before major changes in the affected bones have occurred. Paget's disease occurs most frequently in the spine, skull, pelvis, thighs, and lower legs. In general, symptoms progress slowly. Paget's disease is not a cancer, and the disease does not spread to normal bones. Treatment can control Paget's disease and lessen symptoms, but treatment does not cure Paget's disease.

Paget's disease is named after the English surgeon Sir James Paget, who described the condition in 1877. Paget also discovered the worm that causes trichinosis and described what is called Paget's disease of the breast. Together with Rudolph Virchow in Germany, Paget was one of the founders of pathology.

For further information, contact the Paget's Disease Foundation.

The Paget's Disease Foundation
120 Wall Street, Suite 1602
New York, NY 10005-4001
Phone: 212-509-5335
Fax: 212-509-8492
pagetfdn@aol.com

• Paget's disease is a chronic bone disorder.
• Paget's disease frequently causes no symptoms.
• Paget's disease can cause pain in the bones or joints, headaches and hearing loss, pressure on nerves, increased head size, bowing of limb, or curvature of spine.
• Tests used to diagnose Paget's disease include X-rays, blood tests, and bone scanning.
• Paget's disease can lead to other medical conditions.
• Medical treatment options include aspirin, other anti-inflammatory medications, pain medications, and medications that slow the rate of bone turnover, decreasing the activity of Paget's disease.
• Surgical operations may necessary for damaged joints, fractures, severely deformed bones, or when nerves are being pinched by enlarged bone.

REFERENCES:

Klippel, J.H., et al. Primer on the Rheumatic Diseases. New York: Springer, 2008.

Whyte, Michael P. "Paget's Disease of Bone." New England Journal of Medicine 355 (2006): 593-600.