Paget's disease and the nervous system.

Paget's disease usually is found in patients past the age of 40. Early presenting symptoms include headache, deafness, tinnitus, and pain due to radicular compression. The diagnosis is confirmed by radiographic features and elevated levels of serum alkaline phosphatase and urinary hydroxyproline. Bony overgrowth results in pressure on nearby soft tissues such as the brain, spinal cord, and certain peripheral nerves. The abnormally soft quality of the calvarial bone permits distortion by the weight of the brain. Dorsal inclination of the plane of the foramen magnum and the projection of the odontoid process into the posterior fossa lead to stretching of the brain stem over the odontoid process and the ventral margin of the foramen. Obstructive hydrocephalus may result. Sarcoma of the crainial vault may develop in cases of Paget's disease. Once cervicomedullary or spinal compression has occurred, surgical decompression may be necessary. Three drugs--calcitonin, disodium etidronate, and mithramycin--have been used with some benefit in the treatment of Paget's disease.