Secondary osteoporosis

Abstract

Secondary osteoporosis is caused by pathologies or medications, differing from the bone loss explainable by the post-menopausal stage or by ageing. The possible pathologies that can condition the loss of bone mass are very varied: endocrinological, digestive, genetic, haematological, rheumatic, post-transplant, pharmacological and a wide miscellaneous group. This article essentially reviews the endocrinological causes, with special emphasis on the more controversial aspects, followed by a clinical approach for the systematic diagnosis of these pathologies, which are frequent in cases initially labelled as primary osteoporosis.