Nonosteomalacic osteopathy associated with chronic hypophosphatemia.

We studied bone histomorphometry in 19 patients with chronic hypophosphatemia related to an idiopathic renal phosphate wasting and without histological osteomalacia. Nine patients had renal lithiasis (group 1), three had radiological osteoporosis (group 2), and seven had lumbar pain (group 3). In the whole group of 19 patients, serum phosphate levels were low (24.9 +/- 2.1 mg/l), calcium in blood was normal, calcium in urine was increased, and iPTH was low. Histomorphometric data showed decreased osteoblastic surfaces with normal resorption surfaces, normal osteoid volume and calcification front. There was no correlation between serum phosphate level and histomorphometric parameters. There was no statistical difference between the data of the 3 groups of hypophosphatemic patients. We concluded that chronic hypophosphatemia in the adult doses not always lead to osteomalacia but to an unusual osteopathy characterized by an osteopenia due to an isolated decrease in bone formation. The respective importance of phosphate deficiency and of decreased iPTH level in the pathogenesis of this osteopathy is uncertain.