Primary Hypoparathyroidism Misdiagnosed as Epilepsy - A Case Report: Seizures, hypocalcemia and cerebral...

Absent or inappropriately low intact parathyroid hormone along with hypocalcemia is the diagnostic criterion of hypoparathyroidism. Clinically, hypoparathyroidism manifests predominantly as neuromuscular dysfunction caused by hypocalcemia. We present here a case of hypoparathyroidism wrongly and ineffectively treated as epilepsy for four years prior to reporting to our hospital. Hypoparathyroidism was diagnosed in our patient on the basis of low serum calcium (ionized and total), high phosphate and very low IPTH levels in face of normal magnesium levels along with radiological evidence of cerebral calcification. The authors stress on the need to include hypoparathyroidism in the differential diagnosis of seizures and the need to treat with 1, 25 dihydroxycholecalciferol.