Calcitonin deficit syndrome in thyroidectomized patients.

The results of a study carried out on 10 patients who underwent total or subtotal thyroidectomy to determine the effects of a prolonged deficit in calcitonin on bone turnover, are reported. The following parameters were evaluated: serum calcium and phosphate, serum alkaline phosphatase, urinary hydroxyproline, serum iPTH, serum iCT and bone mineral content (BMC) of the distal radius. In ten patients controlled 24 months after surgery, a lowering in circulating iCT levels was noted together with a significant decrease in BMC. These observations while supporting the theory that a CT deficit can determine osteoporosis, suggest that further consideration should be given to substitutive therapies for totally and subtotally thyroidectomized patients.