Abstract
The clinical profile of primary hyperparathyroidism has changed markedly with the advent of the multichannel screening test. It has become a common disease, characterized best by asymptomatic hypercalcemia. It is seen most commonly in postmenopausal women. The potential complications of primary hyperparathyroidism are seen much less frequently now but still loom as potential features of the disease. The ability to measure bone mass in primary hyperparathyroidism with great sensitivity and accuracy has helped to detect aspects of this disorder that lie beneath the clinical surface of the disease. With knowledge of current clinical and biochemical features of hyperparathyroidism, combined with evaluation of the skeleton by bone mineral densitometry, it is possible to develop a rational approach to the patient, vis à vis surgical or medical approaches. These guidelines are useful until we learn more about the natural history of the modern profile of primary hyperparathyroidism.
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