Abstract
Mutations in the calcium-sensing receptor gene (CaSR) may result in disorders of calcium homeostasis manifesting as familial benign hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia (FBHH), neonatal severe hyperparathyroidism (NSHPT) or autosomal dominant hypocalcaemia with hypercalciuria (ADHH). FBHH may have a population prevalence as high as one in 16 000, and ADHH one in 70 000. NSHPT is very rare.
The FBHH condition is usually asymptomatic. Parathyroidectomy does not result in normal serum calcium, and no active treatment is indicated. To differentiate FBHH from primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), a guideline which includes measurement of serum calcium, intact parathyroid hormone (PTH), magnesium and fasting urinary calcium excretion is proposed. Screening of family members for hypercalcaemia, and occasionally a search for mutations in the CaSR gene, may be required.
The NSHPT condition may manifest with hypercalcaemia, (usually) very elevated serum PTH concentration, subperiosteal erosions and fractures. Milder cases may be managed medically, but respiratory failure, extreme hypercalcaemia and failure to thrive are indications for early parathyroidectomy.
The ADHH condition may result in asymptomatic hypocalcaemia, but some affected family members have minor symptoms, and a minority experience seizures in infancy which can recur into adulthood. A significant proportion of cases previously reported as idiopathic hypoparathyroidism (IHP) may in fact be due to mutations in the CaSR gene. In a moderately hypocalcaemic patient with no other clearly discernible cause, an elevated urine calcium:creatinine ratio is suggestive of ADHH, as is the presence of a first-degree relative with hypocalcaemia. If treatment with vitamin D analogues is undertaken, serum and urine calcium should be monitored, advice which applies equally to ADHH and IHP.