This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Srivastava, T. Articles by Alon, U. S. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Srivastava, T. Articles by Alon, U. S. Pubmed/NCBI databases Medline Plus Health Information Bone Diseases Osteogenesis Imperfecta Osteoporosis Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Bisphosphonates: From Grandparents to Grandchildren

Uri S. Alon, MD

Section of Nephrology, The Children's Mercy Hospital and University of Missouri at Kansas City, MO

Bisphosphonates are synthetic analogues of pyrophosphate that inhibit bone resorption by their action on osteoclasts. Bisphosphonates have been extensively used in the elderly with primary and secondary osteoporosis, Paget's disease, and hypercalcemia of malignancy. In recent years, bisphosphonates have been used to treat children acutely for resistant hypercalcemia and chronically for various metabolic bone diseases. The theoretical concerns of possible adverse effects of these drugs on the growing skeleton have not been proven to be true. In the present review, we have critically analyzed the available literature on bisphosphonate therapy in both adult and pediatric clinical trials. Although not yet approved by the FDA for use in children, bisphosphonates, from published experience, demonstrate benefit to the child with no serious adverse effects. Based on the literature analysis the review furnishes detailed recommendations and practical guidelines regarding the use of oral and intravenous bisphosphonates in children. Bisphosphonates might be the first agents to provide the pediatrician with an opportunity to treat mineral and bone disorders of childhood, which until recently did not have satisfactory therapy.

Clinical Pediatrics, Vol. 38, No. 12, 687-702 (1999)
DOI: 10.1177/000992289903801201


CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

				A. P. Cagle, S. G. Waguespack, B. A. Buckingham, R. R. Shankar, and L. A. DiMeglio Severe Infantile Hypercalcemia Associated With Williams Syndrome Successfully Treated With Intravenously Administered Pamidronate Pediatrics, October 1, 2004; 114(4): 1091 - 1095. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				M. P. Whyte, D. Wenkert, K. L. Clements, W. H. McAlister, and S. Mumm Bisphosphonate-Induced Osteopetrosis N. Engl. J. Med., July 31, 2003; 349(5): 457 - 463. [Full Text] [PDF]

				L. Zeitlin, F. Rauch, H. Plotkin, and F. H. Glorieux Height and Weight Development During Four Years of Therapy With Cyclical Intravenous Pamidronate in Children and Adolescents With Osteogenesis Imperfecta Types I, III, and IV Pediatrics, May 1, 2003; 111(5): 1030 - 1036. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E Astrom and S Soderhall Beneficial effect of long term intravenous bisphosphonate treatment of osteogenesis imperfecta Arch. Dis. Child., May 1, 2002; 86(5): 356 - 364. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				R. V. Sekhar, S. Culbert, W. K. Hoots, M. J. Klein, H. Zietz, and R. Vassilopoulou-Sellin Severe Osteopenia in a Young Boy With Kostmann's Congenital Neutropenia Treated With Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor: Suggested Therapeutic Approach Pediatrics, September 1, 2001; 108(3): e54 - 54. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				N. Khan, A. Licata, and D. Rogers Intravenous Bisphosphonate for Hypercalcemia Accompanying Subcutaneous Fat Necrosis: A Novel Treatment Approach Clinical Pediatrics, April 1, 2001; 40(4): 217 - 219. [PDF]