Histologic Changes in the Temporal Bone in Osteitis Deformans (Paget's Disease)

Osteitis deformans (Paget's disease) is a chronic disease which begins in middle life or later. Its progress is slow and may continue for many years, causing only such trouble as arises from deformity in the affected bones. According to Schmorl,1the sacrum and the lumbar vertebrae are most commonly affected, and the long bones of the extremities and the bones of the skull are rather frequently involved. The diseased bones are enlarged, and those bearing weight become curved; the skull becomes large and misshapen, the increase in thickness taking place almost entirely outward, so that the inner table remains unaltered. The frontal sinus is at first little changed, though it may become smaller in an advanced stage. The base of the skull is often involved, so that the pituitary fossa may be altered, and the petrous part of the temporal bone may show distinct signs of the disease. It