[Clinical experiences following the surgical therapy of asymptomatic, oligosymptomatic and symptomatic parathyroid...

Depending on their symptomatology 152 cured (i.e., normocalcemic) patients with surgically proven primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) showed typical symptoms preoperatively. Besides hypercalcemia and elevated parathyroid hormone levels, 15 patients suffered only from hypertension and/or diffuse osteoporosis and/or complaints caused by the hypercalcemic syndrome (oligosymptomatic patients). Nine patients had no complaints (asymptomatic patients). The long-term clinical course of all patients was analyzed up to 22 years. Although the formation of urinary calculi was stopped in 94% of cases, a deterioration of renal function and hypertension was seen in symptomatic (12.5% and 9.2%, respectively) and oligosymptomatic patients (6.7% and 13.3%, respectively). Renal function and hypertension were unpredictable despite normalization of the hyperactive parathyroid metabolism and were of decisive prognostic significance; 6% died of acute or chronic renal failure, or of the consequences of hypertension. Multiple bone lesions, even large, healed functionally and were of no prognostic significance. In the majority of symptomatic patients gastrointestinal manifestations held postoperatively, but two patients died of acute pancreatitis without gastrointestinal complaints preoperatively. Almost all symptoms of the hypercalcemic syndrome disappeared immediately and permanently in symptomatic and oligosymptomatic patients. No deterioration of renal function and no elevation of blood pressure was observed in cured asymptomatic patients postoperatively. Immediate surgical treatment even in asymptomatic patients may have avoided complications of chronic renal failure or of hypertension. As soon as organic manifestations, even in a mild form, have been established, it seems impossible to predict the course and to prevent an unfavorable clinical outcome.