Natural history of treated primary hyperparathyroidism.

A follow-up study of patients operated on for primary hyperparathyroidism revealed that recurrent hypercalcemia is uncommon in patients with solitary adenoma, but common in patients with multiglandular disease. The result of parathyroidectomy on the different symptoms of primary hyperparathyroidism is good. On the other hand, even after successful surgery, patients with primary hyperparathyroidism have poorer health than controls, and they also have a higher mortality rate. Most of the deaths in the primary hyperparathyroidism group are caused by cardiovascular disease. The effect of the preoperative serum calcium level on the later state of health is evident.