[Cortisone-induced osteoporosis: from physiopathogenesis to treatment]

Glucocorticoids are useful as therapeutic agents in a wide variety of clinical disorders for their antiinflammatory, immunosuppressive and cytolytic properties. When administered in supraphysiological doses they cause an array of undesired side-effects that greatly limit their clinical utility. Among them, the development of osteoporosis is critical. It is a multifactorial process with important actions occurring in bone and other sites. As a consequence, an uncoupling of bone turnover is observed with a decrease in bone formation and an increase in bone resorption. The efficacy of preventive and therapeutic interventions are limited but an area of new perspectives are currently under investigation.