[Hyperparathyroidism secondary to renal insufficiency: anatomo-clinical relations and the potential role of an aluminum overload].

Severe secondary hyperparathyroidism is still observed at present in 5-10% of haemodialysis patients. It requires surgical correction. Fifty-eight haemodialysis patients had neck surgery and their 222 parathyroid glands analysed. The individual gland weight was comprised between 22 and 3880 mg (mean +/- SEM, 689 +/- 62 mg). Mean total parathyroid gland weight per patient was comprised between 2 and 3 g. Schematically, 4 types of gland architecture could be distinguished: diffuse hyperplasia alone; diffuse hyperplasia associated with incipient nodule formation; hyperplasia with pronounced nodule formation; and nodule formations alone. Total gland weight was significantly higher for the latter two histological forms than for the former suggesting transformation with time of pure hyperplasia to nodular hyperplasia. Patients with chronic pyelonephritis had a mean gland weight higher than that of patients with chronic glomerulonephritis (3308 +/- 498 mg versus 1824 +/- 358 mg, p less than 0.01). No relation was found between total gland weight and plasma calcium, phosphate or alkaline phosphatases. However, a weak relation existed between total gland weight and plasma immunoreactive parathyroid hormone. In addition, a negative relation was observed between highest prior plasma aluminium and gland weight when considering only patients with a gland weight less than 2000 mg. Parathyroid gland aluminium content was significantly higher in haemodialysis patients than in nonuraemic patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. A direct relation was found between parathyroid gland and bone aluminium. In conclusion, in haemodialysis patients with evolving hyperparathyroidism initially diffuse gland hyperplasia appears to be associated progressively with nodule formation. Circulating immunoreactive parathyroid hormone is positively related to total gland weight.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)