Hyperparathyroidism

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Parathyroid glands

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Hyperparathyroidism

Treatment:

Treatment depends upon the severity and cause of the condition. In primary hyperparathyroidism, mild hypercalcemia may be followed medically unless impaired renal function, bone demineralization, mental status changes or high blood pressure is present. Otherwise, if the calcium level is very high or symptoms are present, surgery may be necessary to take out the gland that is overproducing the hormone.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism is treated by restoring the calcium back into the normal range, usually by giving calcium and vitamin D alone or in combination, depending on the underlying disorder.

See the specific type of hyperparathyroidism.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook varies depending on the specific type of hyperparathyroidism.

Complications:

Complications that result from excess calcium deposits within the body:

Skeletal damage
Urinary tract infection due to kidney stones and obstruction
Peptic ulcer disease and pancreatitis
Pseudogout

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if symptoms indicate that primary hyperparathyroidism may be present.

Call your health care provider if signs of complications develop.

Review Date: 8/12/2004
Reviewed By: Aniket R. Sidhaye, M.D., Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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