Symptomatic Skeletal Disease in Non‐terminal Renal Failure

Sixteen patients suffering from stable non-terminal renal failure and complaining of skeletal symptoms were studied. Fifteen of the patients were female and all gave a history of analgesic abuse. All patients had radiological, bacteriological or histological evidence of pyelonephritis. All patients had histological osteomalacia and in fifteen this lesion was considered severe. Eight patients showed histological evidence of osteitis fibrosa; this lesion was severe in two patients. These patients had a significantly lower mean serum calcium level, a significantly lower mean serum bicarbonate level, a significantly higher mean serum alkaline phosphatase level and a significantly higher mean serum immunoreactive parathyroid hormone level than a group of uræmic patients not complaining of skeletal symptoms.