Endocrine Abstracts

Primary hyperparathyroidism is a disease which nowadays is being diagnosed with increasing frequency. The diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism is based on routine calcium measurement, which if detected abnormally elevated leads to the screening of the patient for primary hyperparathyroidism. Therefore, primary hyperparathyroidism is frequently detected early in the course of the disease. Consequently, severe musculoskeletal manifestations may be lacking in the modern world setting in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

The aim was to describe musculoskeletal manifestations in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism being followed up in a center of excellence in Athens.

A cohort of 38 patients, 33 female and five male, with primary hyperparathyroidism aged 62.31±1.87 years, being followed up within a center of excellence in Athens was studied. Musculoskeletal manifestations were recorded in the cohort of the patients studied.

Within the cohort of 38 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism being followed up within a center of excellence in Athens, 12 patients (31.58%) had osteoporosis, 2 (5.26%) had osteopenia, 7 (18.42%) had diffuse bone pain, 2 (5.26%) had diffuse myalgia and 1 (2.63%) had suffered a wrist fracture. Within the cohort studied 18 (47.37%) patients did not have any musculoskeletal manifestations.

It appears that primary hyperparathyroidism does not have severe musculoskeletal manifestations, such as osteitis fibrosa cystica, in the real world setting in patients followed up for the disease within a center of excellence in Athens. However, patients with primary hyperparathyroidism appear to have diffuse bone pain as well as osteoporosis, which may be complicated by a fracture in some of the cases. Early detection and diagnosis of the disease seems to have altered the face of primary hyperparathyroidism in the real modern world setting.