[Fluorosis following the long-term treatment of osteoporosis with sodium fluoride]

The fluorosis in fluor-exposed workers has been known already since nearly 50 years. It is characterized by a massive regeneration of bones. The fluorosis is only rarely observed as a sequel of the sodium fluoride therapy of osteoporosis. Out of the number of our own patients a medicamentously induced fluorosis after a 12-year sodium fluoride therapy of a steroid osteoporosis is described. The pathological value of this iatrogenic fluorosis is relatively insignificant. Nevertheless, due to the picture of complaints resulting from this a sodium fluoride therapy should be controlled. In this case the lateral X-ray picture of the lumbar vertebral column serves as most important control parameters.