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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Radiological criteria of industrial fluorosis
The bone radiographs of 43 potroom workers in an aluminium factory, on whom the diagnosis of industrial fluorosis had been confirmed by bone biopsy, are compared with radiographs from 18 control subjects. A higher frequency of ossification of ligament, tendon, and muscle attachments is observed among the fluoride exposed subjects.
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Fluoride-related bone disease associated with habitual tea consumption
Acquired osteosclerosis is a rare disorder of bone formation but an important consideration in adults with sclerotic bones or elevated bone density results. In such patients, malignancy, hepatitis C, and fluorosis should all be considered when making a diagnosis. We describe 4 patients evaluated at our Metabolic Bone Disease Clinic
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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
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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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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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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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Exposure Pathways Linked to Skeletal Fluorosis
Excessive fluoride exposure from any source -- and from all sources combined -- can cause skeletal fluorosis. Some exposure pathways , however, have been specifically identified as placing individuals at risk of skeletal fluorosis. These exposure pathways include: Fluoridated Water for Kidney Patients Excessive Tea Consumption High-Fluoride Well Water Industrial Fluoride Exposure Fluorinated Pharmaceuticals (Voriconazole
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