Abstract
A 60-year-old Caucasian woman with a 1-year history of pain at the ribs, spine, and pelvis consulted at our Institute in March 1999. She brought a bone densitometry performed using a Lunar DPX densitometer that showed bone mineral density (BMD) measurements in the osteoporotic range at both the lumbar spine and the femoral neck. As a child she had had bowed legs and had been treated with ultraviolet radiation. Results of the laboratory test performed at our institute showed normal total serum calcium, repeated low serum P levels, and a low renal phosphate threshold with elevated total and bone fraction of alkaline phosphatase with normal intact parathyroid hormone (PTH). A diagnosis of hypophosphatemic osteomalacia due to renal phosphate leak was made. She began treatment with neutral sodium phosphate at 1.5 g/day and calcitriol 0.5 µg/day. Her serum P levels normalized, and there was a progressive decrease in alkaline phosphatase levels. The densitometry showed a very rapid increase in BMD values with normalization at the lumbar spine after 10 months of treatment. This case shows the importance of bone densitometry in the follow-up of patients with suspected osteomalacia.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Negri, A., Bogado, C. & Zanchetta, J. Bone densitometry in a patient with hypophosphatemic osteomalacia. J Bone Miner Metab 22, 514–517 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-004-0516-0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00774-004-0516-0