EXPOSURE TO LEAD, A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS TOXIN - PAGETS-DISEASE OF BONE

This report details observations of the association between Paget's di sease of bone and occupational or environmental exposure to lead accor ding to our previously reported hypothesis [1]. The patients in the pr esent study were males, ranging in age from 34 to 91 years, average ag e 73 years, with the established diagnosis of Paget's disease. Detaile d life-long histories of occupational activities and environmental exp osure to toxins were obtained by personal interviews from 44 of a tota l of 48 patients with Paget's disease. The interviews were conducted i ndependently by a physician and a registered nurse. Histories were not available from four patients. All 44 patients interviewed were, accor ding to their histories, occupationally or environmentally exposed to lead for 2-50 years. The time interval from the start of lead exposure to the initial diagnosis of Paget's disease ranged from 8 to 52 years , with an average of 34 years. The histories of occupational or enviro nmental exposure to lead in 44 of 48 patients, in 92%, or in all patie nts who were interviewed, suggests that there may be a possible relati onship between exposure to lead and the pathogenesis of Paget's diseas e of bone. A detailed occupational history, comprising the life-long w ork history, is necessary to demonstrate this association. (C) 1995 Wi ley-Liss, Inc.