Pregnancy-associated spinal osteoporosis treated with bisphosphonates: Long-term follow-up of maternal and infants outcome

Abstract

Pregnancy-associated spinal osteoporosis (PPSO) is a rare condition characterized by severe back pain occurring near the end of the first pregnancy or shortly afterward. The aim of this report is to present a 12-year follow-up of a patient with PPSO. Also, the outcomes of patient's two pregnancies and her infants after long-term treatment with bisphosphonates are assessed. A young woman was referred to our tertiary care hospital aged 30 years, due to intense pain in thoracic and lumbar region that started during the last month of her first pregnancy and got worse after delivery. Bone mineral density (BMD) measurement, clinical, and biochemical parameters were performed. Extremely low lumbar spine BMD, L2-L4: 0.627 g/cm 2, T-score -4.8, Z-score -4.3, 52% young adult indicated severe osteoporosis. Cyclical treatment with etidronate and then pamidronate was started, and a substantial increase in the BMD and the reduction in back pain intensity were observed. An increase in BMD of 44.8% over baseline was observed after 12 years of follow-up. Her two pregnancies were uneventful, and no neonatal adverse effects were observed. Control DXA scan in her girl child aged 6.8 years revealed low BMD at the lumbar spine. As PPSO seems to be an underdiagnosed severe disease, caution is recommended if back pain occurs in the last trimester or early post-partum period. Although pre-pregnancy use of bisphosponates does not pose a substantial fetal risk, their use in women of childbearing age might best be done only when strong clinical indications exist. © Springer-Verlag 2011.