[Osteoporosis in premenopausal women]

Osteoporosis is a systemic disease of bone, which is characterized by decreased bone mass and changes in the microarchitecture of bone tissue followed by brittleness of bones and increased risk of fractures. Osteoporosis frequently is a disease of postmenopausal women, nevertheless, in rare cases, osteoporosis can also occur in young adults. There are only few studies on the pathophysiology of "premenopausal osteoporosis"; in addition to idiopathic forms, osteoporosis in young women can be caused by glucocorticoid treatment, by eating disorders or can be associated with pregnancy.