Intravenous pamidronate in juvenile osteoporosis

AIMS To investigate the use of the aminobisphosphonate, disodium pamidronate, in children with vertebral osteoporosis. METHODS Five children (aged 10–15 years) with vertebral osteoporosis who developed compression fractures in the thoracic and/or lumbar spine as a consequence of five different conditions, received treatment with intravenous disodium pamidronate in doses ranging from 0.5 to 12 mg/kg/y. RESULTS Each child had rapid pain relief following the first treatment, followed by large increments in lumbar spine bone density over one year; the change in bone density standard deviation score ranged from 0.5 to 2.5 with percentage increments of 26% to 54%. CONCLUSION Intravenous pamidronate appears to be a useful therapeutic option in childhood osteoporosis, but its use in children must still be regarded as experimental and therefore closely monitored.