Paget's Disease Of the Bone Diagnosis

Paget's disease is most often found by chance when a person sees a doctor for a problem such as hip or back pain. An abnormal X-ray or blood test may lead the doctor to discover this disease.

To diagnose Paget's disease, the doctor will ask about your past health, do a physical exam, and order tests such as:

Bone X-rays.

Affected bones often look deformed and too thick on X-rays.

Bone scan.

This is the best test for diagnosing Paget's disease. You may have a bone scan of your whole body to find out which bones are affected.

Blood and urine tests.

The most important one for diagnosing Paget's disease is a blood test for alkaline phosphatase, an enzyme made by bone. If the level of this enzyme is high, your doctor will want to do other tests.

You might also need other tests, such as an MRI or a CT scan.