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.
-
-
A case of thick but brittle bones and instant tea
CASE DESCRIPTION A 45-year-old white male was found to have radiographic findings of a diffusely dense appendicular skeleton, mild trabecular thickening, and multiple thoracic compression fractures indicating structural weakness. Bone mineral density was above the expected range for his age on the lumbar spine and femoral neck. Social history was significant
-
X-Ray analysis of 80 patients with severe endemic fluorosis caused by coal burning
Radiographs of 80 patients with severe endemic fluorosis of coal-burning type [CBEF] - 49 males and 31 females aged 30 to 70 years - were analysed to examine the changes to the bone substance, peripheral structure of bone, and joints. The changes to bone substance were: 1) osteosclerosis type, 62
-
Fluoride osteosclerosis
1. Twenty-three cases of fluoride osteosclerosis are presented. 2. These cases were gathered from 170,000 roentgenographic examinations of the spine and pelvis of patients living in Texas and Oklahoma where many communities have excessive fluoride content in their drinking water. 3. In each case, adequate clinical examination failed to establish any relationship
-
Excessive ingestion of fluoride and the significance of sialic acid: glycosaminoglycans in the serum of rabbit and human subjects
The levels of sialic acid and glycosaminoglycans were explored in the sera of rabbit and human subjects who ingested fluoride and had clinical manifestation of fluorosis. Changes observed in the level of these chemical constituents in sera possibly reflect changes occurring in calcified and noncalcified tissues due to fluoride intoxication. The
-
Enduring fluoride health hazard for the Vesuvius area population: the case of AD 79 Herculaneum
BACKGROUND: The study of ancient skeletal pathologies can be adopted as a key tool in assessing and tracing several diseases from past to present times. Skeletal fluorosis, a chronic metabolic bone and joint disease causing excessive ossification and joint ankylosis, has been only rarely considered in differential diagnoses of palaeopathological
Related Studies :
-
-
-
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.
-
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.
-
"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.
-
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.
-
Gastrointestinal Problems Among Individuals with Skeletal Fluorosis
Humans suffering from skeletal fluorosis are known to suffer from an increased occurrence of gastrointestinal disorders. When fluoride intake is reduced, these gastrointestinal problems are among the first symptoms to disappear. The following are some of the studies that have examined this issue: "It is clear from the observations presented in this article
Related FAN Content :
-