What goes wrong in primary hyperparathyroidism?
A. One or more of the glands becomes enlarged and overactive, producing too much parathyroid hormone. This leads to a rise in the blood calcium. In most patients (80-85%), a single parathyroid gland becomes enlarged and develops into a benign tumor, known as an adenoma. In nearly all other patients (15-20%), two or more glands enlarge, again in a benign fashion, a condition called hyperplasia. Parathyroid cancer is an extremely rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. 5. Q. What are the harmful effects of primary hyperparathyroidism? A. The most common symptoms of too much calcium in the blood are loss of appetite, thirst, frequent urination, lethargy, fatigue, muscle weakness, joint pains and constipation. More severe symptoms include nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, memory loss and depression. These signs are not generally present unless the blood calcium is very high. Most patients with primary hyperparathyroidism in the United States do not have blood calcium levels in the ra
