Rare diseases · Sign or symptom
Abnormality of bone mineral density
HP:0004348
What it means
This term applies to all changes in bone mineral density which (depending on severity) can be seen on x-rays as a change in density and or structure of the bone. Changes may affect all bones of the organism, just certain bones or only parts of bones and include decreased mineralisation as may be seen in osteoporosis or increased mineralisation and or ossification as in osteopetrosis, exostoses or any kind of atopic calicfications of different origin and distribution. The overall amount of mineralization of the bone-organ can be measured as the amount of matter per cubic centimeter of bones, usually measured by densitometry of the lumbar spine or hip. The measurements are usually reported as g/cm3 or as a Z-score (the number of standard deviations above or below the mean for the patient's age and sex). Note that measurement with this method does not reflect local changes in other bones, and as such might not be correct with regard the hole bone-organ.
Rare diseases that can present with this9
Very common80–99%
5The range is how often this sign appears among people diagnosed with each disease — it is not a probability of having any of them. Many of these signs also occur in common, non-rare conditions. A sign on this page is a conversation to have with a clinician, not a conclusion.
Part of the broader category
Also called: Abnormality of bone mineralisation and ossification
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Start free with EleplanThis page uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (2026-06-23) — Human Phenotype Ontology Consortium, hpo.jax.org. Disease associations from Orphanet (INSERM), CC BY 4.0. Content is educational and is not medical advice.