[Prostatic osteocondensing metastases and osteomalacia. Value of histomorphometric study. Preliminary results]

A clinical, biochemical and histomorphometric study of non-decalcified bone with measurement of calcification rate was carried out in 10 patients with sclerotic bone metastases from prostatic carcinoma. The patients were under oestrogen therapy, and a change of treatment was being considered. The histomorphometric study showed that 3 patients had osteomalacia. These patients differed from the others in that the pain they experienced in bones was stronger, more diffuse and more often permanent. All three had fracture of the femoral neck. They had hypocalcaemia, hypophosphataemia, hypocalciuria and increased serum alkaline phosphatase, but only phosphataemia was significantly lower than in non-osteomalacia patients. Osteomalacia was cured by vitamin D and calcium in one patient. Osteomalacia can only be reliably diagnosed in these patients by histomorphometry. This examination may be proposed to patients with sclerotic bone metastasis of prostatic origin, under hormonal therapy, presenting with diffuse skeletal pain or bone fragility without osteolysis, and with hypocalcaemia or hypophosphataemia.