A case of functional parathyroid carcinoma without significant preoperative hypercalcemia

Abstract

We report our experience with a case of parathyroid carcinoma in which hypercalcemia was not apparent preoperatively. The patient was a 73-year-old woman. She was referred to the Department of Nephrology at our hospital for treatment during the induction phase of hemodialysis, and during treatment, a high intact PTH and left parathyroid tumor was noted. The patient had already been prescribed cinacalcet, and hypercalcemia was not observed. The patient did not wish to have surgery at first but later underwent left epithelial body resection, and the pathological diagnosis was parathyroid carcinoma.Conventionally, hypercalcemia is one of the findings that can raise suspicion of parathyroid carcinoma, but in this case, calcimimetic therapy was started before the hypercalcemia worsened, and it did not become apparent. Head and neck surgeons need to deepen their understanding of medical treatment in addition to surgery.