Diseases and Conditions
Paget's disease of bone
Overview
Symptoms
Causes
Risk factors
Complications
Diagnosis
Treatment
Lifestyle and home remedies
Preparing for an appointment
Diagnosis
During the physical exam, your doctor will examine areas of your body that are causing you pain. He or she may also order X-rays and blood tests that can help confirm the diagnosis of Paget's disease of bone.
Imaging tests
Bone changes can be revealed by:
- X-rays. The first indication of Paget's disease of bone is often abnormalities found on X-rays done for other reasons. X-ray images of your bones can show areas of bone breakdown, enlargement of the bone and deformities that are characteristic of the disease, such as bowing of your long bones.
- Bone scan. In a bone scan, radioactive material is injected into your body. This material travels to the spots on your bones most affected, and they light up on the scan images.
Lab tests
People who have Paget's disease of bone usually have elevated levels of alkaline phosphatase in their blood, which can be revealed by a blood test.