Conditions and symptoms
What Is Paget's Disease of Bone?
Paget's Disease of Bone · say it: PAJ-its dih-ZEEZ uv boneAlso written: Paget disease of bone, osteitis deformans, Paget's disease
Short answer
Paget's disease of bone is a long-term condition in which bone is broken down and rebuilt too fast, so it can become enlarged and weak.
What it means
Paget's disease of bone is a condition where the normal cycle of bone renewal speeds up and becomes disorganised. The new bone made is larger but weaker than normal. It most often affects the pelvis, spine, skull and leg bones. Many people have no symptoms; others have bone pain, bone shape changes or fractures.
It appears on labels for bisphosphonates and similar medicines because these medicines slow down bone breakdown and are used to treat it. It can also appear on reports as a finding on X-rays or bone scans, sometimes found by chance, or as a cause of a raised blood test called alkaline phosphatase (ALP).
It is a different condition from Paget's disease of the breast or nipple, which is a type of cancer. The two only share the name of the doctor who described them.
Where you may see it
- The 'Indications' section of bisphosphonate labels
- X-ray, bone scan or CT reports
- Blood test reports with a raised alkaline phosphatase
📄 How it looks on a report
Indicated for the treatment of Paget's disease of bone in men and women.
🙅 What it does not mean
- It is not a cancer and is not the same as Paget's disease of the breast.
- Finding it on an X-ray does not always mean you need treatment; it depends on symptoms and location.
- It is not osteoporosis, though both are treated by some of the same medicines.
🗒️ Questions to ask your doctor
💊 Medicines whose labels mention “Paget's Disease of Bone”
Plain-English explanations of each medicine, from its official FDA label.
- Alendronate
a bisphosphonate, a medicine that slows the breakdown of bone by blocking cells called osteoclasts
🔗 Read more from trusted sources
- “Paget's Disease of Bone” on MedlinePlus ↗
US National Library of Medicine
- NCI Dictionary definition ↗
US National Cancer Institute: “paget disease of bone”
Seeing this word on your own report? Get every line of it explained, free.
Explain my report🧩 Related words
🔎 Look up another word
More words: conditions and symptoms
General information about a medical word, not advice about your own results. Ask the clinician who ordered the test what it means for you.