National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Paget disease of bone


Not a rare disease Not a rare disease
Other Names:
PDB; Osteitis deformans
Categories:
Subtypes:

Paget disease of bone is a disorder that involves abnormal bone destruction and regrowth, which results in deformity. This condition can affect any of the bones in the body; but most people have it in their spine, pelvis, skull, or leg bones. The disease may affect only one bone or several bones; but it does not affect the entire skeleton. Bones with Paget disease may break more easily, and the disease can lead to other health problems. The cause of Paget disease is unknown, although it may be associated with faulty genes or viral infections early in life.[1][2]
Last updated: 12/12/2011

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
1%-4% of people have these symptoms
Bilateral conductive hearing impairment 0008513
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of pelvic girdle bone morphology
Abnormal shape of pelvic girdle bone
0002644
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Bone pain 0002653
Bowing of the long bones
Bowed long bones
Bowing of long bones
[ more ]
0006487
Brain stem compression 0002512
Cranial nerve paralysis 0006824
Elevated alkaline phosphatase
Greatly elevated alkaline phosphatase
High serum alkaline phosphatase
Increased alkaline phosphatase
Increased serum alkaline phosphatase
[ more ]
0003155
Fractures of the long bones 0003084
Hydroxyprolinuria
Elevated urinary hydroxyproline
0003080
Increased susceptibility to fractures
Abnormal susceptibility to fractures
Bone fragility
Frequent broken bones
Increased bone fragility
Increased tendency to fractures
[ more ]
0002659
Long-tract signs 0002423
Osteolysis
Breakdown of bone
0002797
Paraparesis
Partial paralysis of legs
0002385
Premature loss of teeth
Early tooth loss
Loss of teeth
Premature teeth loss
Premature tooth loss
[ more ]
0006480
Progressive
Worsens with time
0003676
Tetraparesis 0002273
Variable expressivity 0003828
Vertebral compression fractures
Compression fracture
0002953
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

FDA-Approved Treatments

The medication(s) listed below have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as orphan products for treatment of this condition. Learn more orphan products.


If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources


Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Paget disease of bone. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease


These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) support research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, the training of basic and clinical scientists to carry out this research, and the dissemination of information on research progress in these diseases. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Paget disease of bone. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.


  1. Paget’s disease of the bone. MedlinePlus. November 2009; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000414.htm. Accessed 12/12/2011.
  2. What Is Paget's Disease of Bone?. NIH Osteoporosis and Related Bone Diseases ~ National Resource Center. May 2009; http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bone/Pagets/pagets_disease_ff.asp. Accessed 12/12/2011.