While it is still most common in older patients, more young people are contracting the disease. In the U.S., there are more than 1,000 new cases of myeloma diagnosed each month. In many cases people discover they have myeloma after fracturing a rib, a weight-bearing bone or more seriously, suffer from a spinal cord compression. There is no known cure. Paget's Disease of Bone is a chronic disorder which typically results in enlarged and deformed bones in one or more regions of the skeleton.
Complications can include bone pain, arthritis, deformities and fractures.
Though the cause is not known, research is focused on genetic and viral factors. A severely affected child begins fracturing before birth. A mildly affected person may go undiagnosed until she has a child who is more severely affected. OI can cause hundreds of fractures in a lifetime, as well as hearing loss, short stature, skeletal deformities, breakable teeth, weak muscles, and respiratory difficulties. Use of crutches or wheelchairs for mobility is common.