Fatal recurrence of parathyroid carcinoma after seven years

The case is reported of a woman who died at the age of 36 from parathyroid carcinoma. The removal, seven years earlier, of a large parathyroid tumour, judged at that time to be benign, was followed by a remission of symptoms for about four years after which they recurred. At necropsy, a well-differentiated parathyroid carcinoma showed local invasion and lymph-node metastases in the neck. Review of the original ;adenoma' suggested that this growth might have been a carcinoma. The total number of recorded cases of hyperfunctioning parathyroid carcinoma is still limited but has now reached at least 37. Carcinoma is rarely to be diagnosed except at necropsy; nevertheless, it seems to be the important cause of delayed recurrence of symptoms after parathyroidectomy. The evolution of the growth is often very slow.