Hypercalcaemia
The abnormally rapid process of bone remodelling that is associated with Paget’s disease can sometimes lead to a build-up of calcium in the blood. The medical term for this is hypercalcaemia.
Hypercalcaemia only occurs in people with Paget’s disease who have been confined to bed after having an operation or following a fracture. However, even in these circumstances, hypercalcaemia is quite a rare complication.
Symptoms of hypercalcaemia include:
It is also relatively common for people with hypercalcaemia to develop kidney stones.
Hypercalcaemia can be treated using a combination of medication to lower blood calcium levels and bisphosphonates to slow down bone remodelling.
Heart failure
In severe cases of Paget’s disease, the blood vessels inside the bones can become damaged. This means that the heart has to work harder to pump blood around the body. In rare cases, the heart may no longer be able to pump enough blood around the body to meet demand. This is known as heart failure and it is a very rare complication of Paget’s disease.
Symptoms of heart failure include:
- breathlessness (dyspnoea) – when you are more active than normal or sometimes when you are resting
- extreme tiredness and weakness
- oedema – swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
Heart failure can be treated using a combination of medications designed to reduce strain on the heart while also helping it to work more efficiently. In some cases, surgery may be recommended to repair or replace a damaged heart valve.
See the Health A-Z topic about Heart failure for more information.
Sarcoma
Sarcoma is a type of cancer that starts in the bone cells. Very rarely it can occur as a complication of Paget’s disease. It is estimated that less than 1 in 1,000 people with Paget’s disease will go on to develop sarcoma later in life, usually many years after Paget’s disease was first diagnosed.
Symptoms of sarcoma include:
- bone pain which is very similar to the pain that is associated with Paget’s disease itself; it is a dull ache that is usually worse at night
- swelling around the affected bone
- a noticeable lump in the affected bone
Sarcoma is usually a very aggressive type of cancer and it is often necessary to remove the affected bone to prevent the cancer spreading to other parts of the body.
See the Health A-Z topics about sarcoma and amputation for more information.
