The hand in Paget's disease (osteitis deformans).

Abstract

Abstract The literature relating to involvement of the hand in Paget's disease is reviewed. Eleven patients in whom 18 hands (38 bones) were affected by Paget's disease are presented and the radiological findings described and illustrated. The following conclusions are drawn: (1) The incidence of hand involvement is almost certainly greater than generally accepted. Absence of associated clinical abnormality, leading to infrequent radiological examination, and failure to examine the hand in postmortem studies are two reasons for this lack of appreciation. (2) Although the radiological features of Paget's disease in the hand do not differ essentially from those found elsewhere, there appears to be a preponderance of the sclerotic type of lesion, frequently of an amorphous character. The disease is modified by the relatively small size of the bones involved and by the absence of weight-bearing stresses.