Severe hyperparathyroidism associated with prolonged hungry bone syndrome in a renal transplant recipient

Although widely believed to resolve within 6 to 12 months of successful renal transplantation, hyperparathyroidism may persist or develop after renal transplantation and eventually require parathyroidectomy. Avid calcium retention by demineralized bones (hungry bone syndrome) is well-recognized after parathyroidectomy and usually resolves after a few weeks. This report documents the case of a renal transplant recipient with persistent hyperparathyroidism who developed a pathological fracture of the pelvis and required parathyroidectomy 1 year after transplant and then manifested severe and prolonged hungry bone syndrome lasting for more than 20 months postoperatively. The clinical features and treatment of hyperparathyroidism in renal transplant recipients are discussed, as are diagnosis, pathogenesis, and management of hungry bone syndrome. Recognition of renal transplant recipients at greater risk for severe hungry bone syndrome should permit earlier and more aggressive management of this sometimes protracted complication of parathyroid surgery.