Lin C C, Chou F F, Sheen-Chen S M
Department of Surgery, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Kaohsiung College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taiwan.
J Formos Med Assoc. 2000 Apr;99(4):341-4.
Primary hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy results in a high rate of fetal complications and maternal morbidity. Maternal hypercalcemia in pregnancy results in fetal hypercalcemia, which leads to suppression of fetal parathyroid function. Spontaneous abortion and stillbirth can occur, and the loss of maternal calcium after birth leads to neonatal hypocalcemia. It is essential to detect primary hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy because early diagnosis and management can decrease the rate of fetal and maternal complications. We present the case of a 27-year-old gravida 1, para 0 woman whose pregnancy was complicated by hyperparathyroidism and arrhythmia. The patient complained of dyspnea and palpitations in the seventh and 15th weeks of gestation. Electrocardiography showed ventricular premature contraction bigeminy and trigeminy in association with hypercalcemia (3.3 mmol/L). A parathyroidectomy in the second trimester revealed parathyroid adenoma. Hypercalcemia and arrhythmia resolved completely and the patient delivered a term baby without any maternal or fetal complications. The simultaneous occurrence of arrhythmia with ventricular premature contractions and hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy is rarely reported. Palpitations and dyspnea due to arrhythmia may be associated with primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy and should be considered in the differential diagnosis. In the management of symptomatic primary hyperparathyroidism during pregnancy, surgical intervention is preferable in the second trimester when organogenesis is completed and the risk of spontaneous abortion is low.
