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Complications

By Mayo Clinic staff

Besides bone fractures, severe fibrous dysplasia can lead to:

  • Bone deformity. The weakened area of an affected bone can cause the bone to bend (bow). If your spine is affected, you can develop scoliosis, an abnormal curving of the spine.
  • Vision and hearing loss. The nerves to your eyes and ears may be surrounded by affected bone. Severe deformity of facial bones can lead to loss of vision and hearing, but it's a rare complication.
  • Arthritis. If leg and pelvic bones are deformed, arthritis may form in the joints of those bones.
  • Cancer. Rarely, an affected area of bone can become cancerous. This rare complication usually only affects people who have had prior radiation therapy.
References
  1. Fibrous dysplasia. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00083. Accessed June 3, 2011.
  2. Tis JE. Overview of benign bone tumors in children and adolescents. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 3, 2011.
  3. Whyte MP. Osteonecrosis, osteosclerosis/hyperostosis, and other disorders of bone. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191371208-2/0/1492/0.html#. Accessed June 3, 2011.
  4. Rosenberg AE. Bones, joints and soft-tissue tumors. In: Kumar V, et al. Robbins and Cotran Pathologic Basis of Disease. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0792-2..50031-6--cesec46&isbn=978-1-4377-0792-2&sid=1166563817&uniqId=255806599-7#4-u1.0-B978-1-4377-0792-2..50031-6--cesec64. Accessed June 3, 2011.
  5. Chapurlat RD, et al. Treatment of fibrous dysplasia of bone with intravenous pamidronate: long-term effectiveness and evaluation of predictors of response to treatment. Bone. 2004;35:235.
  6. Joglekar SB (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 18, 2011.
  7. Sim FH (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 18, 2011.
DS00991 July 7, 2011

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