 Print page |
 Email page |
Hyperthyroidism can occur after parathyroid surgery
The
background of the study. Surgical removal of a parathyroid tumor
usually involves manipulation of the thyroid. In this study, thyroid function
was evaluated in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism after parathyroid
surgery.
How the study was done. The study subjects were 199 patients (mean age, 58 years) who underwent surgery to remove a benign parathyroid tumor. Serum thyrotropin (TSH) was measured before and periodically after surgery.
The results of the study. The parathyroid abnormality was a solitary benign tumor in 179 patients (90 percent). Eight patients (4 percent) had two benign tumors, 10 (5 percent) had enlargement of all parathyroid glands, and 1 (1 percent) had a parathyroid cancer. Serum TSH concentrations were low 7 to 21 days after surgery in 58 patients (29 percent), normal in 132 (66 percent), and high in 9 (5 percent).
Among 125 patients in whom serum TSH was measured before surgery, the mean preoperative serum TSH concentration was 2.0 mU/L, and it was 1.2 mU/L postoperatively; at that time, 39 (31 percent) had low values. Twenty of these 39 patients (51 percent) had subclinical hyperthyroidism. They had few or no symptoms; their mean preoperative and nadir postoperative serum TSH concentrations were 1.5 and 0.1 mU/L, respectively. The other 19 patients (49 percent) had symptomatic overt hyperthyroidism. All 39 patients later had normal thyroid function.
The conclusions of the study. In patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, transient subclinical or overt hyperthyroidism may occur after parathyroid surgery.
The original article. Stang MT, Yim JH, Challinor SM, Bahl S, Carty SE. Hyperthyroidism after parathyroid exploration. Surgery 2005;138:1058-65.
Next Article:
Children with hyperthyroidism may be tall and underweight, and they
continue to grow well when treated |
||
| Thyroid Digest Index | | | March 2006 Thyroid Digest |
