- Specific Causes:
- loss of
estrogen:
- in most women there is a rapid increase in bone loss after menopause;
- this probably results from primarily by loss of estrogen;
- however, all postmenopausal women have lost estrogens, but not all develop postmenopausal osteoporosis.
- dietary calcium deficiency: (
dietary causes of osteomalacia);
- note that there are women who have very low calcium intakes who do not develop osteoporosis;
-
hyperthyroidism
- hypogonadism
- acromegaly
- Cushing's syndrome
- malnutrition
- medications: anticonvulsants, heparin, cyclosporin A, and chemotherapy;
- Differential Dx:
-
transient osteoporosis of the hip;
-
scurvy
-
osteogenesis imperfecta
-
multiple myeloma
- lymphoma
-
sickle cell anemia
-
hyperparathyroidism
-
osteomalacia
- homocystinuria
- hypermetabolic resorptive osteoporosis
