Current Paediatrics
Volume 11, Issue 5 , Pages 357-363, October 2001

Parathyroid disorders

  • J. Allgrove (Consultant Paediatric Endocrinologist and Honorary Senior Lecturer)

      Affiliations

St Bartholomew's and the Royal London Hospitals, Whitechapel, London, E1 1BB, UK, Glen Road, Plaistow, London, E13 8RU, UK

Whitechapel, London, E1 1BB, UK, Newham General Hospital, Glen Road, Plaistow, London, E13 8RU, UK

Abstract 

The parathyroid glands play a crucial role in maintaining plasma calcium within the narrow limits required to allow normal neuromuscular activity. Their principal product is parathyroid hormone which is secreted in response to hypocalcaemia. Disorders of the parathyroid glands may therefore result in both hypocalcaemia and hypercalcaemia. In children the former is more common than the latter.

Hypoparathyroidism usually results either from failure of development of the glands or from their destruction by antibodies. Pseudohypoparathyroidism is the consequence of end-organ unresponsiveness to parathyroid hormone. Magnesium deficiency may also interfere with parathyroid hormone secretion, causing functional hypoparathyroidism. In hyperparathyroidism excess parathyroid hormone secretion results from either gland hyperplasia, adenoma or, occasionally, carcinoma. Both hypercalcaemia and hypocalcaemia can result from abnormalities in the calcium-sensing receptor located on the parathyroid gland. Many of these conditions seen in children are genetic in origin and are frequently associated with abnormalities of other organs.

Keywords: parathyroid hormone, cyclic AMP, hyperparathyroidism, phosphate, hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, calcium, parathyroid localization scans, magnesium

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  • f1 (E-mail: allgrove@clara.net)

PII: S0957-5839(01)90206-4

doi:10.1054/cupe.2001.0206

Current Paediatrics
Volume 11, Issue 5 , Pages 357-363, October 2001

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