Abstract

Skeletal fluorosis is endemic in some parts of the world and is the result of life-long ingestion of high amounts of fluoride in drinking water. Its clinical presentation is characterized mostly by bone and dental changes with later ossification of many ligaments and interosseous membranes. We present a rare case of high cervical myelopathy caused by ossification of the posterior longitudinal ligament and ligamentum flavum in a patient from an area endemic for skeletal fluorosis. The clinical presentation of skeletal fluorosis and treatment options are discussed.

• Related Studies :

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    A case of skeletal fluorosis with spinal cord compression from Kekirawa following consumption of water with high fluoride content for about 20 years is described. The observations of other workers and the present case report show that more extensive field studies among vulnerable populations is indicated in this region. The need to

  • Endemic fluorosis with neurological complications in a Hampshire man

    We describe below a case of skeletal fluorosis occurring in a Hampshire man who presented with neurological complications, and whose condition was appreciably improved by operation. We believe that this is the first case of its kind to be reported from Britain, and also the first case of skeletal fluorosis

  • Thoracic myelopathy from coincident fluorosis and epidural lipomatosis

    Skeletal fluorosis is rare in North America. It can present with back pain and extremity weakness. Immobilization of the spine and the extremity joints can occur. It is usually caused by abnormally increased oral fluoride intake over many years. Epidural lipomatosis is usually caused by idiopathic obesity or corticosteroid use.

  • Radiculomyopathy in a southwestern Indian due to skeletal fluorosis

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  • [Spinal cord compression in bone fluorosis. Apropos of 4 cases].

    The authors report four cases of spinal cord compression (three at cervical level and one at dorsal level) due to vertebral osteosclerosis secondary to chronic fluoride intoxication. Roentgenograms showed typical diffuse densification of vertebral bodies, calcifications of bony insertions of many ligaments, discs and interosseous membranes. Urinary fluoride was markedly

• Related FAN Content :

  • Fluoride & Spinal Stenosis

    Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spaces in the spine that results in pressure being placed on the spinal cord and/or nerve roots. Although stenosis can develop without symptoms, it may produce numbness, tingling, pain and difficulty in walking, as well as a heavy/tired feeling in the legs. It is estimated that 250,000 to 500,000 Americans currently have symptoms of spinal stenosis. Skeletal fluorosis is one cause of stenosis.

  • 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.

  • "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.

  • 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.

  • Skeletal Fluorosis in the U.S.

    Although there has been a notable absence of systematic studies on skeletal fluorosis in the U.S., the available evidence indicates that the consumption of artificially fluoridated water is likely to cause skeletal fluorosis and other forms of bone disease in people with kidney disease and other vulnerable populations.