Rhizomelia and Impaired Linear Growth in a Girl with Juvenile Paget Disease: The Natural History of the Condition

In ultra-rare bone diseases, information on growth during childhood is sparse. Juvenile Paget disease (JPD) is an ultra-rare disease, characterized by loss of function of osteoprotegerin (OPG). OPG inhibits osteoclast activation via the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (RANK) pathway. In JPD, overactive osteoclasts result in inflammatory-like bone disease due to grossly elevated bone resorption. Knowledge on the natural history of JPD, including final height and growth, is limited. Most affected children receive long-term antiresorptive treatment, mostly with bisphosphonates, to contain bone resorption, which may affect growth. In this study, we report the follow-up of height, growth velocity, and skeletal maturation in a 16-year-old female patient with JPD. The patient was treated with cyclic doses of pamidronate starting at 2.5 years of age and with 2 doses of denosumab at the age of 8 years, when pamidronate was paused. In the following years, a sustainable decline in a height <i>z</i>-score and a stunted pubertal growth spurt; despite appropriate maturation of the epiphyseal plates of the left hand, the proximal right humerus and both femora were observed. Whether this reflects the growth pattern in JPD or might be associated to the antiresorptive treatments is unclear, since there is very limited information available on the effect of bisphosphonates and denosumab on growth and the growth plate in pediatric patients. Studies are needed to understand the natural history of an ultra-rare bone disease and to assess the effects of antiresorptive treatment on the growing skeleton.