A very slim 82-year-old female patient is brought to the emergency department with severe back pain that radiates to the sides of the lower thoracic region. She has been losing height for the past few years, and she has developed a "dowager's hump." A possible diagnosis is

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The patient's presentation, including severe back pain, loss of height, and a "dowager's hump," are indicative of vertebral compression fractures, which are a common complication of osteoporosis in elderly patients. Osteopetrosis is a rare genetic disorder characterized by increased bone density, while Paget's disease and osteoma are typically asymptomatic and not associated with severe back pain. Osteomalacia is a metabolic bone disorder, but it typically presents with diffuse bone pain rather than localized pain in the lower thoracic region.

A Very Slim 82-Year-Old Female Patient Is Brought to the Emergency