Parathyroid glands

What are diseases of the parathyroid glands?

The human body needs calcium to build teeth and bones and to ensure the normal excitability of muscles and nerves, among other things. As with all endocrine glands, pathological over- or under-functioning can be observed. This can be caused by congenital or acquired disorders.

Historically, the most common cause of hypothyroidism was thyroid surgery with accidental removal of the parathyroid glands. However, modern techniques for identifying the parathyroid glands during thyroid surgery have fortunately made these cases rare nowadays. Increased production and release of parathyroid hormone is most frequently "secondary", namely as a reaction of the parathyroid glands to a vitamin D deficiency. This does not lead to an increase in the calcium level in the blood.

A "primary" hyperfunction with an increase in the blood calcium level is most frequently observed in the case of a benign cell proliferation of one or (more rarely) several parathyroid glands. However, genetic causes can also lead to parathyroid hyperfunction, sometimes combined with diseases of other endocrine glands such as the pituitary gland, thyroid gland or adrenal glands ("multiple endocrine neoplasia").