Gastric function in primary hyperparathyroidism in man

1. GASTRIC function was studied pre-operatively in 55 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. In all patients the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism was proved by the removal of an enlarged parathyroid gland or glands, following which the serum calcium fell to normal or below. 2. Twenty patients (38 per cent) gave a history of dyspepsia. All patients were given a barium meal and 12 (22 per cent) were found to have a duodenal ulcer. Male patients had dyspepsia and/or an ulcer more frequently than female patients. 3. Kay's augmented histamine test was carried out in all patients. Six patients (11 per cent) had achlorhydria, six had hyperchlorhydria (11 per cent), the remaining patients secreting normal amounts of acid. The acid secretion did not differ significantly from that of a group of euparathyroid patients studied under similar circumstances who did not have duodenal ulcer on barium meal. 4. Antigastric-parietal-cell antibodies and antithyroid antibodies were absent in all 20 patients, including five with achlorhydria, tested. 5. Serum gastrin was slightly elevated in three out of 10 patients preoperatively, and there was no consistent change following parathyroidectomy. 6. Although there is a high incidence of dyspepsia and of duodenal ulcer in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism they do not tend to have increased acid secretion.