Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy caused by hyperparathyroidism. Report of a case and review of the literature.

Hyperparathyroidism is a rare, recently recognized cause of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Elevated serum levels of parathyroid hormone, rather than a rise in the extracellular calcium concentration, appear to be associated with left ventricular hypertrophy. This report describes the history of a patient who developed left ventricular hypertrophy during a 17 years lasting period of recurrent nephrocalcinosis, prior to the diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism. Cardiac function tests remained unchanged fifteen years after parathyroidectomy, suggesting that the latter intervention did not reverse the pathological process but only prevented further cardiac deterioration.