[Study of the functional reserves of the parathyroid glands in diffuse toxic goiter and hypothyroidism]

The author studied functional reserves of the parathyroid glands in patients with diffuse toxic goiter with thyrotoxicosis and in euthyroidism, and also at various periods after subtotal resection of the thyroid gland, in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, and with postoperative hypothyroidism. Functional reserves of the parathyroid glands proved to decrease in 15 to 54 patients with toxic goiter and in 6 of 16 patients with hypothyroidism. Surgical intervention on the thyroid gland usually led to functional parathyroid insufficiency which compensated later. Calciemia (below 8.5 mg%) 4 hours after the beginning of the test pointed to the parathyroid gland insufficiency the intensity of which could be more accurately determined by checking calcium level 12 and 24 hours after the beginning of the test.