PHPT with Pancreatitis: Atypical Presentation of PHPT

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is rarely associated with the occurrence of acute or chronic pancreatitis, requiring complex perioperative management. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and disease characteristics of pancreatitis in PHPT.

This study is a clinicopathological analysis of the medical records of patients who were diagnosed with PHPT with pancreatitis between 1989 and 2021 in the Endocrine Surgery department, SGPGI, Lucknow.

Out of 548 PHPT cases, 44 (8.03%) were found to be associated with pancreatitis. The mean age was 33.57 years (15-65 years); 5 were ≤20 years, while 26 were ≤30 years of age. There were 27 males and 17 females. Twenty-one cases were of acute (11 acute, nine recurrent acute, one acute on chronic), whereas 23 were of chronic pancreatitis (six chronic calcific pancreatitis). The major clinical presentation of PHPT with pancreatitis was abdominal pain (65.91%). The mean number of attacks per patient in recurrent acute pancreatitis was two. Mean PTH levels were 68.19 pmol/L. The mean tumor size (in the largest dimension) was 2.79 ± 1.4 cm while the mean tumor weight was 4.91 g. Nephrolithiasis was associated with 25 cases. An association with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 syndrome was seen in one case. The final histopathological diagnosis was parathyroid carcinoma in two, hyperplasia in three, and parathyroid adenoma in 39 cases. Normocalcemia was seen in 27.2%, hypercalcemic crisis in 15.9%, and 25% of patients required semi-emergency parathyroidectomy. The outcome was favorable in all, as none had any further attacks of pancreatitis.

In our study, the prevalence of pancreatitis in PHPT cases was 8.03%. The majority of patients were young. Normocalcemia was seen in 12 patients, so even if calcium levels are normal, PHPT should be suspected in young patients with pancreatitis. Parathyroidectomy resulted in the complete resolution of symptoms of pancreatitis in all 44 patients.