Bone mineral content in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: a comparison of conservative management with surgical treatment

The management of patients with asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism remains controversial. This study examined the extent to which the presence of prospect of bone disease should influence treatment. Bone mineral content (BMC) of the distal forearm was measured by single photon absorptiometry in 67 pat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish journal of surgery Vol. 79; no. 3; p. 263
Main Authors Mole, P A, Walkinshaw, M H, Gunn, A, Paterson, C R
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.03.1992
Subjects
Adult
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Bone Density - physiology
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Forearm
Humans
Hyperparathyroidism - physiopathology
Hyperparathyroidism - therapy
Male
Menopause - physiology
Middle Aged
Parathyroidectomy
Time Factors
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Summary:The management of patients with asymptomatic hyperparathyroidism remains controversial. This study examined the extent to which the presence of prospect of bone disease should influence treatment. Bone mineral content (BMC) of the distal forearm was measured by single photon absorptiometry in 67 patients with mild hyperparathyroidism. Twenty-six patients treated surgically and 17 managed conservatively were reviewed regularly for up to 4 years. Eighty per cent of patients had a baseline fat-corrected BMC within the local reference interval for age and sex, but about 75 per cent of values fell below the mean. BMC at the 'distal' site of the surgically treated patients improved or stabilized, but a continuing decline was seen in the patients managed conservatively (P less than 0.01). Differences were small and concern about future osteoporotic fracture should seldom be a major factor in making decisions about surgical correction of mild hyperparathyroidism.
ISSN:0007-1323
DOI:10.1002/bjs.1800790327