The presence of fractures in association with a reduced bone mass is essential for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in children

Aneta Gawlik; Agnieszka Zachurzok-Buczyńska; Dorota T. Alli-Balogun; Tomasz Gawlik; Aleksandra Januszek-Trzciąkowska; Ewa Małecka-Tendera

Vol 4, No 3 (2008)

Prace oryginalne

Published online: 2008-07-10

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The presence of fractures in association with a reduced bone mass is essential for the diagnosis of osteoporosis in children

Aneta Gawlik, Agnieszka Zachurzok-Buczyńska, Dorota T. Alli-Balogun, Tomasz Gawlik, Aleksandra Januszek-Trzciąkowska, Ewa Małecka-Tendera

Endokrynol. Otył. Zab. Przem. Mat 2008;4(3):107-115.

Vol 4, No 3 (2008)

Prace oryginalne

Published online: 2008-07-10

Abstract

INTRODUCTION. An increasing number of referrals of paediatric patients for osteoporosis diagnostics are recently noted. The aim of our study was to determine the percentage of children with confirmed diagnosis of osteoporosis and the reasons of it’s "over diagnosing".
MATERIAL AND METHODS. The data of 41 patients, 20 girls and 21 boys, were analysed. The average age of the study group was 12.52 ± 2.65 years. Diagnostics involved the determination of the levels of serum Ca, P, Mg, PTH, FA, vitamin D3 metabolite (25OHD₃), urine Ca and P excretion, and bone densitometry. The diagnosis of osteoporosis was based on the presence of factures in anamnesis with association of reduced bone mass.
RESULTS. Among patients 65.85% had a history of repeated fractures, 24.4% presented upper and lower limb pain and/or lumbar pain, 4.9% had a family history of osteoporosis and 4.88% were diagnosed with postural defects. Osteoporosis was confirmed in 5 (12.2%) patients - 4 girls and one boy.
CONCLUSIONS. The incompetent history taking and the misinterpretation of diagnostic results, particularly densitometry, which is nowadays widely available, seem to be the main reason for the "over diagnosis" of osteoporosis in community health centres.