Paget Disease of Bone in Cyprus: Prevalence, Clinical Characteristics and Physicians’ Awareness

Background Paget's disease of bone (PDB) is a relatively uncommon medical condition. Objective This study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and describe the clinical characteristics of PDB in Cyprus. Methodology A questionnaire was mailed, in two phases, to all orthopedics and rheumatologists at hospitals and private practices in Cyprus. Phase 1 determined the number of PDB patients followed at each hospital or practice, while Phase 2 gathered information on the clinical presentation of current patients. Results A total of 11 patients were located among the 45 physicians surveyed. The response rate of Phase 1 was 68.5%. All physicians who reported a PDB patient in Phase 1 also participated in Phase 2. Prevalence of PDB was estimated at 2.04 per 100.000 people. Male patients were seen more frequently compared to females (72.7% vs. 27.3%). The majority of patients (82.8%) reported the presence of at least one symptom. The most frequently reported complication was fracture, while no sarcomas were reported. The most frequent location of bone fracture was the spinal column, followed by the femur (45.5% vs. 36.7%). Rarity of the disease and lack of physician's information about the disease were the two most frequently reported difficulties by physicians for the diagnosis of PDB (20.8% vs. 22.9%). Conclusions This is the first study estimating prevalence and describing clinical characteristics of PDB in Cyprus. PDB is a very rare disease in this country affecting primarily the male population. Bone involvement is present in most cases and fractures are the most prevalent complications.