Long-term effect of surgical treatment on the symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism

Two hundred and eighty-nine patients operated on for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in the years 1956-79 have been followed up for a mean period of 5 years. The aim of the study was to investigate the symptomatology of PHPT and the disappearance of the symptoms after operative treatment. Of the presenting symptoms hypercalcaemic crisis and cystic bone changes were cured, and none of the patients with pancreatitis as presenting symptom had a recurrence. In the renal stone group, 10% of the patients had recurring stones during the follow-up period. The presenting symptom disappeared in 84% of the patients. Thirty-five% of the patients had no presenting symptom and were classified as "asymptomatic", though, on questioning, most of them had various symptoms which disappeared postoperatively. Malaise, fatigue and muscular weakness disappeared in 79% of the patients, upper abdominal pains in 66%, constipation in 63%, pains in the extremities in 51% depression in 65%. Hypertension increased by 28% during the follow-up period; only three of the 90 patients with hypertension has discontinued antihypertensive treatment postoperatively. During the follow-up study, 6% of the patients were hypercalcaemic, though the serum calcium was only slightly elevated in almost all of these patients (mean +/- SD 2.75 +/- 0.09 mmol/l) and most of them had the multiglandular form of PHPT. The renal function did not deteriorate as much as was expected on the basis of earlier reports; only two patients had a serum creatinine over 500 mumol/l.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)