title: Parathyroid carcinoma, a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism.
abstract: A 45 year-old woman who presented with non-specific neck and shoulder pain, was found to have mild hypercalcaemia, markedly elevated parathyroid hormone levels, and an irregular parathyroid gland on imaging. The patient underwent a parathyroidectomy and the pathology report came back positive for parathyroid carcinoma with muscular invasion. Parathyroid carcinoma is an exceptionally rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism and can have a poor prognosis due to metastases and a high propensity to recur after resection. Reports of non-functioning parathyroid carcinomas tend to behave even more aggressively. Repeat imaging on this patient showed residual cancer present, so the patient underwent a second surgery with radical neck dissection and has since been doing very well postoperatively. Diagnosis and treatment is challenging and it is critical to continuously follow-up for recurrent disease.
authors.affiliation: American University of Antigua, Jupiter, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Adam
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alperstein
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Wyckoff Heights Medical Center, Brooklyn, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Rajendra
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhayani
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D049950:Hyperparathyroidism, Primary / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009132:Muscles / Q000473:pathology; D037981:Neck Dissection; D009361:Neoplasm Invasiveness; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000601:surgery; D016609:Neoplasms, Second Primary / Q000601:surgery; D010280:Parathyroid Glands / Q000473:pathology*; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D016105:Parathyroidectomy