Paget disease is a condition that causes alternating cycles of bone destruction and bone reconstruction. This disease tends to slowly get worse over time.
Paget disease alternately destroys and then reconstructs bone. Normal bone is replaced with excessive amounts of abnormal bone. The abnormal bone has less calcium and is weaker.
The cause of Paget disease remains unclear. Some theories about the cause of Paget disease include:
Paget disease is thought to affect about 3% of the population older than 40. The disease is twice as common in males. Paget disease is also more common in the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. It is less common in Asia, Africa, and Scandinavia. In the U.S., it is more common in the northern states and less common in the southern states.