[Effect of pamidronate on clinical symptoms and bone metabolism in fibrous dysplasia and McCune-Albright syndrome].

BACKGROUND

Patients with fibrous dysplasia and the McCune-Albright syndrome which is characterized by additional endocrine dysfunctions, such as pubertas precox, suffer from a regional impairment in the differentiation of osteoblasts that is acquired during early embryogenesis and results in fibrous bone lesions. These lesions may cause bone deformities, fractures and chronical pain in the affected skeletal regions. We here report about our experience with a systemic treatment of the bisphosphonate pamidronate.

PATIENTS: We treated 3 patients with fibrous dysplasia and 5 patients with McCune-Albright syndrome over a cumulative period of 37 patient-years.

RESULTS

In all patients who suffered from painful lesions, intravenous infusions of 60 mg pamidronate resulted in an improvement of pain that lasted up to 6 months. In 2 patients we also observed a reduction in the size of some of the osteolytic lesions. Side effects were limited to asymptomatical fever and a small decline in total serum calcium within the physiological limits during the infusions.

CONCLUSION

Pamidronate appears to be an effective and well tolerable treatment option for patients with fibrous dysplasia.