ABSTRACT

Hong Kong Med J 2010;16:476-9 | Number 6, December 2010
MEDICAL PRACTICE
Osteomalacia: a case series of patients with atypical clinical orthopaedic presentations
August WM Fok, TP Ng
Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Queen Mary Hospital, Pokfulam, Hong Kong
 
 
Osteomalacia is uncommon in an affluent subtropical city like Hong Kong, where sunlight exposure is adequate and nutritional support is good. We present three patients who had osteomalacia with different presentations. A 74-year-old male with oncogenic osteomalacia presented with multiple bone pain. His biochemical markers returned to normal 4 days postoperatively after resection of a second toe giant cell tumour of tendon sheath. A 62-year-old woman with a history of liver problem and proximal muscle weakness was admitted with atraumatic fracture of the left distal humerus due to osteomalacia. An 81-year-old vegetarian woman with inadequate sun exposure complained of multiple bone pains. Subsequent investigation revealed dietary- and sunlight-deficient osteomalacia with multiple bony abnormalities including marked femur bowing.
 
Key words: Calcium, dietary; Osteomalacia; Rickets; Sunlight; Vitamin D deficiency
 
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