Etymed
osteolysis
Definition
The pathological destruction or resorption of bone tissue
Clinical context
A 65-year-old woman presents with pathological fractures of the femur and hypercalcemia. Imaging reveals multiple lytic lesions in the skull and long bones. Bone biopsy shows extensive destruction of bone matrix with multinucleated giant cells. This patient has multiple myeloma with extensive osteolysis. Laboratory findings reveal elevated serum creatinine and Bence Jones proteins in urine.
Mnemonic
Osteolysis = Osteo (bone) + lysis (destruction) - remember 'lysis' means breakdown, like how osteoclasts lyse/resorb bone in conditions like Paget's disease and multiple myeloma