Bilateral maxillary brown tumours as the first presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism

Symptomatic skeletal disease in primary hyperparathyroidism is over 30 times more common in India compared to the west. The classical "brown tumour" is commonly seen with the major sites being ends of long bones, the pelvis and ribs. Facial involvement is rare and, when present, usually involves the mandible.

We report a 68-year-old gentleman with a rare initial presentation of primary hyperparathyroidism with bilateral maxillary brown tumours.

Successful parathyroid surgery resulted in a regression in the tumours. The report highlights the need to consider primary hyperparathyroidism in the initial differential diagnosis of bony lesions of the jaw.