Can acetazolamide be used to treat diseases involving increased bone mineral density?

Intractable Rare Dis Res. 2016 Nov;5(4):284-289. doi: 10.5582/irdr.2016.01067.

Abstract

Sclerosing bone dysplasias are a series of clinically and genetically heterogeneous diseases characterized by functional failure of the osteoclasts in bone resorption, leading to an excessive amount of bone mineral density (BMD) which could have serious clinical consequences. We treated three children affected with seriously high levels of BMD with acetazolamide, with the intention of inducing metabolic acidosis, thus increasing bone resorption and reducing BMD. All our patients tolerated and followed the treatment well and the clinical response was satisfactory in all cases.

Keywords: Acetazolamide; carbonic anhydrase inhibitor; craniometaphyseal dysplasia; osteochondrodysplasia; osteopetrosis; sclerosing bone dysplasia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports