[Secondary osteoporosis and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis]

In order to assess properly the diagnosis of osteoporosis, a short clinical investigation is required to address potential causes for bone loss. Osteoporosis used to be suspected in a patient with vertebral demineralization, but nowadays it is often diagnosed in a patient with a low bone mass on a screening dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). In this setting, it is important for the clinician to look for secondary osteoporosis, especially in men in whom secondary osteoporosis is more frequent than in women, before discussing any specific therapy. The major causes are longterm glucocorticoid therapy, endocrine (hypogonadism, primary hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism), or digestive diseases.