Endocrine Abstracts

Objective: To determine the incidence of osteopaenia and osteoporosis in primary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods: Retrospective review of 80 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism; Bone densitometry of the femoral neck, lumbar spine and distal ulna was assessed by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) at the time of diagnosis.

Results: The median age at diagnosis was 68; The male: female ratio was 1:3; osteoporosis was present in 26 (32.5%) of patients (T score<−2.5) with all of these patients having osteoporosis at the distal ulna, 62% had osteoporosis at the lumbar spine and 92% had osteoporosis at the femoral neck.

Osteopaenia was present in 35% our study group (T score <−1 >−2.5) with 100% of these patients having osteopaenia at the distal ulna, 83% at the lumbar spine and 93% at the femoral neck.

We compared bone density pre and post parathyroidectomy in 8 patients. BMD, T Score and Z score increased in 6 patients and was unchanged in 2 patients. The increment was better in the osteopaenic and osteoporosis group.

Conclusions: In this clinical series, the incidence of osteoporosis and osteopaenia in primary hyperparathyroidism was 67.5%, mostly affecting the distal ulna and femoral neck. Successful parathyroidectomy resulted in a decrease in osteoporosis.