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- $Unique_ID{BRK03685}
- $Pretitle{}
- $Title{Dysplasia, Polyostotic Fibrous}
- $Subject{Dysplasia, Polyostotic Fibrous Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia
- Jaffe-Lichenstein Neurofibromatosis Type I Von Recklinghausen Disease
- Peripheral Neurofibromatosis}
- $Volume{}
- $Log{}
-
- Copyright (C) 1991 National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc.
-
- 838:
- Dysplasia, Polyostotic Fibrous
-
- ** IMPORTANT **
- It is possible that the main title of the article (Polyostotic Fibrous
- Dysplasia) is not the name you expected. Please check the SYNONYM listing to
- find the alternate names and disorder subdivisions covered by this article.
-
- Synonyms
-
- Disorder Subdivisions:
-
- Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia (Jaffe-Lichenstein)
-
- Information on the following diseases can be found in the Related
- Disorders section of this report:
-
- Neurofibromatosis, Type I ( Von Recklinghausen Disease or Peripheral
- Neurofibromatosis)
-
- General Discussion
-
- ** REMINDER **
- The information contained in the Rare Disease Database is provided for
- educational purposes only. It should not be used for diagnostic or treatment
- purposes. If you wish to obtain more information about this disorder, please
- contact your personal physician and/or the agencies listed in the "Resources"
- section of this report.
-
- Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia is a rare disorder of the soft marrow-like
- structure of the bone (medullary bone) in which benign cystic lesions occur
- as a result of irregular bone development. These lesions are present during
- childhood but not usually discovered until much later. This disorder
- involves multiple bones and often is associated with early sexual development
- (precocious puberty) and skin pigmentation (cafe' au lait spots). When all
- three symptoms are present the disease is known as McCune-Albright Syndrome.
-
- Symptoms
-
- Patients with Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia have abnormal fibrous tissue
- growth of the bone which may be progressively painful, disabling, and
- deforming. The areas that seem to be affected most often are the legs,
- femora, facial bones, mandible, and the base of the skull. These lesions are
- often discovered when a patient has had a spontaneous fracture or a fracture
- after a minor injury. Deformity of the femur and a difference in leg lengths
- (known as "shepherd's-crook) may also be apparent.
-
- Skin abnormalities may be another symptom of Polyostotic Fibrous
- Dysplasia. Skin discoloration may be present on the upper spine, buttocks
- and sacrum. These spots usually have a dark pigmentation and are flat,
- hairless, notched around the edges and do not go above the midline. The skin
- discolorations are called "cafe' au lait spots" and are usually on the same
- side of the body as the bone lesions.
-
- Early puberty occurs in a large percentage of girls with Polyostotic
- Fibrous Dysplasia and less frequently among boys. About fifty percent of the
- females with fibrous dysplasia have early sexual development (precocious
- puberty) which can lead to rapid bone maturation although height as an adult
- may be less than normal. Often there is a low sex hormone level
- (gonadotropin level) in both sexes and fertility may not occur. In females
- menstruation may be meager and irregular and occur as much as seven years
- prior to other sexual development. Usually ovulation and regular periods
- occur at the normal age and fertility is not hindered. Ovarian cysts may
- occur in some cases.
-
- Other symptoms of Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia may include an elevation
- of growth hormone, diabetes mellitus (a metabolic disease in which the
- utilization of carbohydrates is reduced while the utilization of protein and
- lipid are enhanced), over active thyroid (hyperthyroidism), obesity and
- muscular weakness caused by an adrenal or pituitary dysfunction (Cushing's
- syndrome), vitamin D-resistant rickets, obliteration of nasal sinuses and
- optic atrophy.
-
- McCune Albright Syndrome is a multi-system disorder primarily
- characterized by abnormal fibrous tissue development (dysplasia) in one or
- more bone, abnormally early puberty, and brown (cafe' au lait) spots on the
- skin. Other symptoms may include an over-active thyroid gland
- (hyperthyroidism), and a variety of bone and soft tissue tumors. (For more
- information on this disease choose "McCune-Albright" as your search term in
- the Rare Disease Database.)
-
- When a single bone is affected with fibrous dysplasia it is referred to
- as Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia. McCune Albright Syndrome is not present in
- this form of the disease.
-
- Causes
-
- The exact cause of Polyostotic Fibrous dysplasia is not known. Most cases
- seem to occur sporadically. Some scientists have reported that they suspect
- this disorder may be inherited, but this has not yet been proven. The early
- (false or pseudoprecocious) puberty in females with McCune-Albright syndrome
- may be linked to increased ovarian function caused by increased thyroid gland
- function (hyperthyroidism).
-
- Affected Population
-
- Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia seems to affect males and females both equally.
- About fifty percent of the females with Fibrous Dysplasia have McCune-
- Albright Syndrome with early sexual development.
-
- Related Disorders
-
- Symptoms of the following disorders can be similar to those of Polyostotic
- Fibrous Dysplasia. Comparisons may be useful for a differential diagnosis:
-
- Neurofibromatosis (NF), Type I, also known as Von Recklinghausen's
- Disease or Peripheral Neurofibromatosis, is characterized by multiple brown
- (cafe-au-lait) colored spots on the skin, nerve tumors of varying sizes under
- the skin, and curvature of the spine or other bones. Disturbances of puberty
- may also occur. This disorder is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait,
- whereas the exact cause of Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia and McCune-Albright
- Syndrome is not known. The discolorations of the skin found in
- Neurofibromatosis I patients are different from those found in McCune
- Albright Syndrome patients. (For more information on this disease choose
- Neurofibromatosis in as your search term in the Rare Disease Database)
-
- Therapies: Standard
-
- Treatment of Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia is symptomatic and supportive.
- Packing with bone chips and scraping (curettage) of the lesions may be used
- although it has been found that in patients under 18 years of age this
- procedure (when used on lower extremities) is usually unsatisfactory. The
- same procedure used on patients over 18 years of age has been found to have
- satisfactory results. Stabilizing the bone with surgical wires, screws, pins
- or plates (internal fixation) may be use on lesions in the lower extremities
- of patients under 18 years of age. For control of the deformities caused by
- lesions, and to prevent further fractures, the use of a Zickel nail has been
- found to be useful. The drug medroxyprogesterone may be used for treatment
- of sexual precocity.
-
- Therapies: Investigational
-
- There are several experimental drugs being tested for treatment of McCune-
- Albright Syndrome which is sometimes associated with Polyostotic Fibrous
- Dysplasia. To learn about these drugs see the "Investigational Therapies"
- section of the McCune-Albright Syndrome entry in the Rare Disease Database.)
-
- This disease entry is based upon medical information available through
- February 1991. Since NORD's resources are limited, it is not possible to
- keep every entry in the Rare Disease Database completely current and
- accurate. Please check with the agencies listed in the Resources section for
- the most current information about this disorder.
-
- Resources
-
- For more information on Polyostotic Fibrous Dysplasia, please contact:
-
- National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD)
- P.O. Box 8923
- New Fairfield, CT 06812-1783
- (203) 746-6518
-
- The National Adrenal Diseases Foundation
- 505 Northern Blvd., Suite 200
- Great Neck, NY 11021
- (516) 487-4992
-
- International Center for Skeletal Dysplasia
- St. Joseph Hospital
- 7620 York Road
- Towson, MD 21204
- (301) 337-1250
-
- The (Paget's Disease Foundation
- (and other diseases of bone resorption)
- 200 Varick St., Suite 1004
- New York, NY 10014-4810
- (212) 229-1582
- (800) 23-PAGET
-
- The National Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Information
- Clearinghouse
- Box AMS
- Bethesda, MD 20892
- (301) 495-4484
-
- References
-
- INTERNAL MEDICINE, 2nd Ed.: Jay H. Stein, ed.-in-chief; Little, Brown and
- Co., 1987. Pp. 2117-8.
-
- CECIL TEXTBOOK OF MEDICINE, 18th Ed.: James B. Wyngaarden, and Lloyd H.
- Smith, Jr., Editors; W.B. Saunders Co., 1988. Pp. 1519-20.
-
- BIRTH DEFECTS ENCYCLOPEDIA, Mary Louise Buyse, M.D., Ed; Blackwell
- Scientific Publications., 1990. Pp. 739-40.
-
- FIBROUS DYSPLASIA. AN ANALYSIS OF OPTIONS FOR TREATMENT: R.B.
- Stephenson, et al.; J Bone Joint Surg (Am); (Mar 1987, issue 69(3)). Pp.
- 400-9.
-
- FIBROUS DYSPLASIA OF BONE: B.E. Stompro, et al.; Am Fam Physicians; (Mar
- 1989 issue 39(3)). Pp. 1979-84
-
- MULTIPLE OSTEOTOMIES WITH ZICKEL NAIL FIXATION FOR POLYOSTOTIC FIBROUS
- DYSPLASIA INVOLVING THE PROMIMAL PART OF THE FEMUR: B.H. Freeman, et al.; J
- Bone Joint Surg (Am); (Jun 1987 issue 69(5)). Pp. 691-8.
-
- McCUNE-ALBRIGHT SYNDROME: THE PATTERNS OF SCINTIGRAPHIC ABNORMALITIES: S.
- Pfeffer, et al.; J Nucl Med; (Sept 1990 issue 31(9)). Pp. 1471-8.
-
-