Abstract
Orthopedic, radiological and analytical examinations were performed in a group of 60 retired disabled workers of an aluminum factory. Occupational disease had previously been recognized in this group because of disturbances in the respiratory and circulatory systems. The age of those examined averaged 49.6 years; the duration of exposure averaged 16. 9 years; 88.3% had worked in the electrolysis department.
In the majority of cases orthopedic examination showed changes of a generalized character in locomotion, differing in the degree of intensity. Exostoses and ossification of the interosseous membranes and muscle attachments were the most frequently detected radiological changes. Generalized sclerosis and periosteal reactions occurred less frequently. No major variations from the norm were noted in the levels of serum calcium, phosphorus, acid and alkaline phosphatase.
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Osteosclerosis due to endemic fluorosis
Endemic water borne fluorosis is a public health problem in Isparta, a city located in southern Turkey. In order to investigate the association between osteosclerosis and fluorosis, we retrospectively screened the results of lumbar spine and femur neck bone mineral density (BMD) of 1500 patients who were examined before, for any reason in
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Multiple painless masses: periostitis deformans secondary to fluoride intoxication
Diagnosis The differential diagnosis based on the imaging findings included ossification of subperiosteal hematomas, ectopic calcification in the setting of a connective tissue disorder, and periostitis deformans secondary to fluoride intoxication. Laboratory assays were requested by the patient’s rheumatologist, which were notable for a mildly elevated alkaline phosphatase level (216 U/L,
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Palaeopathology by proxy: the case of Egil's bones
Egil Skallagrimsson, the ambiguous poet–Viking hero of Egil's Saga, had bone deformities and symptoms that are known only from their descriptions in the Saga. By “excavating words”, previous workers have concluded that Egil suffered from Paget's disease. However, the descriptions in the Saga are arguably also consistent with skeletal fluorosis,
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Comparison of rheumatoid (ankylosing) spondylitis and crippling fluorosis
(1) Fluoride concentrations were determined for autopsy samples of rib, sacrum, ilium, vertebra, adhering soft tissue, and rib marrow from a patient suffering from rheumatoid (ankylosing) spondylitis of 10 years’ duration. The fluoride concentrations were not increased above normal levels. In this case, the increased bone density seen in this
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An uncommon presentation of fluorosis
A 70 years old farmer from Yemen was referred as a case of osteoarthritis of both knees for preoperative rehabilitation procedures. Six years before he developed progressive skeletal stiffness. By 70 years he became dependent for ambulation and many other self-care activities. He showed quadriparesis resulting from compression of spinal cord
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Skeletal Fluorosis: The Misdiagnosis Problem
It is a virtual certainty that there are individuals in the general population unknowingly suffering from some form of skeletal fluorosis as a result of a doctor's failure to consider fluoride as a cause of their symptoms. Proof that this is the case can be found in the following case reports of skeletal fluorosis written by doctors in the U.S. and other western countries. As can be seen, a consistent feature of these reports is that fluorosis patients--even those with crippling skeletal fluorosis--are misdiagnosed for years by multiple teams of doctors who routinely fail to consider fluoride as a possible cause of their disease.
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"Pre-Skeletal" Fluorosis
As demonstrated by the studies below, skeletal fluorosis may produce adverse symptoms, including arthritic pains, clinical osteoarthritis, gastrointestinal disturbances, and bone fragility, before the classic bone change of fluorosis (i.e., osteosclerosis in the spine and pelvis) is detectable by x-ray. Relying on x-rays, therefore, to diagnosis skeletal fluorosis will invariably fail to protect those individuals who are suffering from the pre-skeletal phase of the disease. Moreover, some individuals with clinical skeletal fluorosis will not develop an increase in bone density, let alone osteosclerosis, of the spine. Thus, relying on unusual increases in spinal bone density will under-detect the rate of skeletal fluoride poisoning in a population.
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Fluoride & Osteoarthritis
While the osteoarthritic effects that occurred from fluoride exposure were once considered to be limited to those with skeletal fluorosis, recent research shows that fluoride can cause osteoarthritis in the absence of traditionally defined fluorosis. Conventional methods used for detecting skeletal fluorosis, therefore, will fail to detect the full range of people suffering from fluoride-induced osteoarthritis.
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Variability in Radiographic Appearance of Skeletal Fluorosis
Osteosclerosis (dense bone) is the bone change typically associated with skeletal fluorosis, particularly in the axial skeleton (spine, pelvis, and ribs). Research shows, however, that skeletal fluorosis produces a spectrum of bone changes, including osteomalacia, osteoporosis, exostoses, changes resulting from secondary hyperparathyroidism, and combinations thereof. Although the reason for this radiographic variability is not yet fully understood, it is believed to relate to the dose of fluoride consumed, the individual's nutritional status, exposure to aluminum, genetic susceptibility, presence of kidney disease, and area of the skeleton examined.
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Fluoride Reduces Bone Strength Prior to Onset of Skeletal Fluorosis
The majority of animal studies investigating fluoride's impact on bone strength have found that fluoride has either no effect, or a detrimental effect, on bone strength. Importantly, several of the animal studies that have found fluoride reductes bone strength have reported that this reduction in strength occurs before signs of skeletal fluorosis
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