Use of high-dose oral bisphosphonate therapy for symptomatic fibrous dysplasia of the skull.

Fibrous dysplasia of the bone in adults is a rare anomaly of skeletal development caused by a defect in differentiation of osteoblasts. This condition is associated with bone pain, bone deformity, and an increased incidence of fracture. Involvement of the skull is associated with headache along with dysmorphic features. Until recently, the principal treatment has been resection or fracture repair, although the latter is often palliative at best. However, new insight into the molecular mechanism of fibrous dysplasia has led to the use of bisphosphonates to treat this disease. The authors examined the effects of high-dose oral alendronate (40 mg daily) for 6 months on 3 adult patients with intractable headache due to fibrous dysplasia of the skull. Each patient had disease processes not amenable to surgery. The patients underwent clinical follow-up at 1, 3, and 6 months. Their pain levels were documented at each visit by using a visual analog scale. All 3 patients demonstrated a significant decrease in pain levels and became independent of scheduled analgesics. Tumor bulk did not progress during this interval in any patient. Overall, alendronate was tolerated well, although in 1 patient it was discontinued early due to esophagitis. High-dose oral bisphosphonate therapy is an alternative therapeutic option for the palliative treatment of patients with fibrous dysplasia of the skull.