Paget's Disease of the Bone in Korea

Abstract

Paget's disease of the bone is a process of increased bone remodeling; the primary event is increased resorption (osteoclastic activity) followed by subsequent reactive bone formation (osteoblastic activity). It may be present with wide variations in the clinical and radiographic picture. Paget's disease is well known in Western countries; however, it is extremely rare in Oriental countries, especially in Korea. Recently, the authors treated a case of Paget's disease in a 35-year-old man that involved the pubic bone. Open biopsy revealed irregular bony trabeculae with disconnected lamellar patterns forming characteristic mosaic patterns of cement lines. Immunohistochemical stains for osteocalcin and osteonectin showed strong cytoplasmic positive reactions on osteoblasts and weak reactions on osteocytes and osteoclasts. This immunostaining was also found along the irregular mosaic cement lines. This discrepancy of pattern distribution between normal and pagetic bone may reflect an abnormal binding of these molecules to the pagetic mineral phase of bone. The authors reviewed the clinicopathologic features of seven cases in Korea. Int J Surg Pathol 3(3):175-180, 1996