Osteopetrosis

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Osteopetrosis is a rare, genetic disease that causes extremely dense and brittle bones. This is because individuals affected with osteopetrosis do not have normal osteoclasts, which bones need to work correctly. Healthy bones require properly functioning osteoblasts and osteoclasts. Osteoblasts are responsible for making new bones and osteoclasts are bone cells that are responsible for bone resorption, which is the breaking down of bones and providing space for new bone marrow to grow. An individual with osteopetrosis has osteoclasts that do not function properly, therefore their bones are not healthy (Stocks, Wang, Thompson, Stocks, & Horwitz, 1998).

There are three types of osteopetrosis, each varies in its severity. The first type is called malignant infantile osteopetrosis. This type is the most severe. The next type is called mild autosomal recessive, or the intermediate type. This type is not as severe as the malignant form, but it can still have a lot of complications and symptoms. The last type is the autosomal dominant type or the adult type. This is the mildest version of the disease; indeed many with this type are asymptomatic (“Osteopetrosis,” 2008).

Malignant infantile osteopetrosis is autosomal recessive, present from birth, and the most severe form of osteopetrosis. Because this type is recessive, the disease does not manifest unless the person receives the same defective gene from the mother and the father. If both parents are carriers for the recessive gene, there is a 25% chance that a child will be infected with the malignant form of osteopetrosis (“Osteopetrosis,” 2008). The gene that is responsible for this disease is located “on the long arm of chromosome 11 (llq12-q13)” (“Osteopetrosis, p. 4).

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...rieved November 27, 2011, from http://aafp.org

Dozier, T., Duncan, I., Klein, A., Lambert, P., & Key, L. J. (2005, April 26). Otologic manifestations of malignant osteopetrosis. National Center for Biotechnology Information. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Kolb, M.D., A. E. (n.d.). What is Osteopetrosis?. Mason Shaffer Foundation || Save a Life ... Donate Cord Blood. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://masonshafferfoundation.org

Osteopetrosis. (2008, May 4). Osteopetrosis. Retrieved November 29, 2011, from http://raredisease.org

Stocks, M.D., M. S., Wang, M.D., W. C., Thompson, M.D., J. W., Stocks, M.D., M. C., & Horwitz, M.D., E. M. (n.d.). Malignant infantile osteopetrosis. Archives of Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery, a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by AMA. Retrieved November 27, 2011, from http://archoto.com

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