Secondary Osteoporosis: Other Causes

Abstract

This chapter focuses on osteoporosis associated with systemic inflammatory diseases, diabetes mellitus, and mastocytosis. Bone marrow mastocytosis is an important "occult" cause of secondary osteoporosis, shown to be present in up to 9% of men with "idiopathic osteoporosis". Secondary causes of osteoporosis are very common, particularly in premenopausal women and in men with osteoporosis, while also being the cause of accelerated bone loss in postmenopausal and age-related osteoporosis. In addition to representing significant comorbidity in specific disease entities such as inflammatory disorders, malignant disease, bone marrow disorders, and endocrinopathies, secondary osteoporosis is also commonly associated with often silent disturbances in calcium homeostasis such as vitamin D deficiency, hypercalciuria, and hyperparathyroidism, all of which are easily detectable by standard laboratory testing.