Parathyroidectomy

Abstract

The diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is established by demonstration of hypercalcemia in the presence of elevated or inappropriately normal parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Eighty-five percent of cases of sporadic pHPT are caused by a parathyroid adenoma - a single enlarged gland. Four-gland hyperplasia represents about 10% of cases, while double adenomas constitute 4% and parathyroid carcinoma <1%. While parathyroidectomy is the recommended treatment for patients with symptomatic pHPT, the need for surgical intervention in patients with asymptomatic disease is less clear. © Springer-Verlag London Limited 2010.