Osteitis Deformans with Spinal Cord Compression

Spinal cord compression in Paget's disease

“…The three cases conform in a number of ways to the pattern described by most authors (Latimer et al, 1953;Miller, 1967;Siegelman et al, 1968;Feldman and Seaman, 1969). All were males in the usual age group and none was known to have Paget's disease until symptoms of spinal cord compression developed.…”

“…While the latter are often subjected to decompression, radiotherapy is a common alternative treatment without histological conformation of the diagnosis (Millburn, Hibbs, and Hendrickson, 1968) and the importance of recognizing these odd cases of Paget's disease is therefore stressed. The radiological demonstration of a paraspinal mass with neural arch involvement is undoubtedly the most vital clue to the diagnosis (Latimer et al, 1953;Direkze and Milnes, 1970).…”

“…Among such lesions, Paget's disease of bone is well recognized and, although rare, it has several characteristic features (Wyllie, 1923;Hartman and Dohn, 1966;Miller, 1967;Siegelman, Levine, and Walpin, 1968;Feldman and Seaman, 1969;Direkze and Milnes, 1970). Furthermore, as results of decompression may be very good (Latimer, Webster, and Gurdjian, 1953), its diagnosis is vital (Siegelman et al, 1968).…”

“…In most recorded cases the history of paraparesis has been of about one year's duration (Aldren Turner, 1940;Latimer et al, 1953) and approximately 5000 of cases have had local and girdle pain over a similar period. The radiological appearance of the vertebral bodies may not always be diagnostic but when a partly calcified paravertebral mass is demonstrated, or when there is involvement of the neural arch, the nature of the lesion is in little doubt (Latimer et al, 1953;Direkze and Milnes, 1970).…”

Paget’s Disease with Spinal Cord Compression

“…Nevertheless, a delay of operative decompression must be avoided in doubtful cases and an exact histological diagnosis is of particular importance since the introduction of calcitonin into therapy. Long-tenir administra tion of this thyroid hormone may stop the pathological activity of osteoplastic and osteo blastic cells which is considered as the pathoge netic mechanism of osteodystrophia deformans Paget (1,5,11). We wish to report two cases with favourable clinical course after decompres sive laminectomy and long-term treatment with calcitonin.…”