This book reports papers read at the annual research conference at the Lankenau Hospital in October, 1958. Topics were osteoporosis, dynamics of calcium metabolism, ultrastructure of bone, and vitamin D, the parathyroids, citric acid, calcium, and phosphorous in relation to bone.
Concepts on osteoporosis are well presented. In the osteoporosis that is so prominent a part of Cushing's syndrome, histologically (decalcified, stained bone sections) the upset in the balance of bone formation and destruction appears to be a decrease in osteoblastic activity, there being no increase in osteoclasis. This contrasts with the exaggeration of osteoclasis seen in renal failure and of both osteoblastic and osteoclastic activity in primary hyperparathyroidism. Cushing's syndrome from exogenous glucocorticoids is associated with hypercalcuria. Undecalcified cross-sections of cortical bone studied by microradiography and microautoradiography showed the osteoporosis of Cushing's to be morphologically similar to spontaneous senile osteoporosis. From the morphologic findings the lesion in osteoporosis appears