SOST-related sclerosing bone dysplasia is a disorder of bone development characterized by excessive bone formation (hyperostosis). As a result of hyperostosis, bones throughout the body are denser and wider than normal, particularly the bones of the skull. Affected individuals typically have an enlarged jaw with misaligned teeth. People with this condition may also have a sunken appearance of the middle of the face (midface hypoplasia), bulging eyes with shallow eye sockets (ocular proptosis), and a prominent forehead. People with this condition often experience headaches because increased thickness of the skull bones increases pressure on the brain. The excessive bone formation seen in this condition seems to occur throughout a person's life, so the skeletal features become more pronounced over time. However, the excessive bone growth may only occur in certain areas.

SOST-related sclerosing bone dysplasia is caused by mutations in or near the SOST gene. The SOST gene provides instructions for making the protein sclerostin. Sclerostin is produced in osteocytes, which are a type of bone cell. The main function of sclerostin is to stop (inhibit) bone formation.

SOST-related sclerosing bone dysplasia is a rare condition; its exact prevalence is unknown.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.

Published Date: June 01, 2009
Published By: National Institutes of Health