Hyperparathyroidism

Hyperparathyroidism

Signs and Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment

Treatment

Surgery to remove the enlarged gland(s) is the only treatment for hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and cures 95 percent of cases. The growth typically does not return and symptoms disappear after the first month of surgery. For a short time after surgery, your blood calcium level may be too low, which is easily treated with medicine.

If surgery is not recommended because of other medical conditions, medicines are available to treat some of the symptoms of HPT. Some patients who have a mild form of the disease, are symptom-free, only have slightly elevated blood calcium levels and whose kidneys and bones are normal may not need surgery. In these cases, patients require monitoring of their calcium and kidney functions ever six months as well as abdominal X-rays and bone mass measurements after one to two years.

Reviewed by health care specialists at UCSF Medical Center.
Last updated May 8, 2007