The first thing we should know when applying the Glasgow Coma Scale to a patient is that we should always keep the best value in each sphere (ocular response, motor response and verbal response). In this case, we have a patient who has an ocular opening to the call (ocular response 3 out of 4), emits inappropriate words (verbal response 3 out of 5) and localizes pain with right extremities (motor response 5 out of 6). The Glasgow Coma Scale score would be 11 (out of 15). The best value of the examination is taken because in many cases (assessment of a polytraumatized patient, ischemic stroke or spontaneous acute cerebral bleeding), the motor examination may be artifacted by other elements. For example: in a polytraumatized patient (such as the one in question), the response presented with left extremities may be due to localized trauma in that area, and not strictly speaking to an underlying traumatic brain injury. Likewise, sometimes the verbal response may be underestimated in the polytraumatized patient due to airway obstruction (e.g., due to the tongue retreating into the oropharynx). By always assessing the best response, we will have a truer picture of the patient's condition.

After a traffic accident you attend to an injured person. The patient opens his eyes at your call, but only utters words that are inappropriate. On motor examination, the pain is localized in the right extremities, but spreads on stimulation of the left extremities. How would you describe his condition according to the Glasgow Coma Scale?

InternalMed_Harrison

Level of consciousness is the patient’s relative state of awareness of the self and the environment, and ranges from fully awake to comatose. When the patient is not fully awake, the examiner should describe the responses to the minimum stimulus necessary to elicit a reaction, ranging from verbal commands to a brief, painful stimulus such as a squeeze of the trapezius muscle. Responses that are directed toward the stimulus and signify some degree of intact cerebral function (e.g., opening the eyes and looking at the examiner or reaching to push away a painful stimulus) must be distinguished from reflex responses of a spinal origin (e.g., triple flexion response—flexion at the ankle, knee, and hip in response to a painful stimulus to the foot). Orientation is tested by asking the person to state his or her name, location, and time (day of the week and date); time is usually the first to be affected in a variety of conditions.

Surgery_Schwartz

scoring for motor assessment tests. Characteristic motor reactions to pain in patients with depressed mental status include withdrawal from stimulus, localization to stimulus, flexor (decorticate) posturing, extensor (decerebrate) posturing, or no reaction (in order of wors-ening pathology). Figure 42-1 diagrams the clinical patterns of posturing. This forms the basis of determining the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) motor score, as detailed in Table 42-2. Light touch, proprioception, temperature, and pain testing may be useful in awake patients but is often impossible without good cooperation. It is critical to document sensory patterns in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients. Muscle stretch reflexes should be examined. Often com-paring left to right or upper extremity to lower extremity reflexes for symmetry is the most useful for localizing a lesion. Check for ankle-jerk clonus or up-going toes (Babinski’s test). Presence of either is pathologic and signifies upper motor neuron

Surgery_Schwartz

Observe whether the patient is visually attentive. Clearly command: “Tell me your name.” Then ask the patient to lift up two fingers on each side sequen-tially, and wiggle the toes. A visually or verbally unresponsive patient should be assessed for response to peripheral stimuli such as nail-bed pressure, or deep central painful stimulation, such as a firm, twisting pinch of the sensitive supraclavicular skin. Watch for eye opening and movement of the extremities, whether purposeful or reflexive. Assess the verbal response. The motor, verbal, and eye-opening scores may be correctly assigned using this rapid examination. An initial assessment of the probability of significant head injury can be made, assuming that pharmacologic and toxic elements have not obscured the examination. The surveyor must also take note of any external signs of head injury, including bleeding from the scalp, nose, or ear, or deformation of the skull or face.Classification TBI can be classified as mild,

Cerebral Contusion -- History and Physical

A detailed neurologic examination is performed. If sedation was given, it should be stopped for an adequate neurological assessment. The patient is evaluated for response to stimuli with a response in eye, motor, and verbal forms. The Glasgow coma scale (GCS) was established in 1974 by Teasdale and Jennett. [29] It helps obtain the best response in a patient and presents the status to the healthcare team. It also helps in comparing future evaluations. The pupillary response is critical in the initial assessment. Glasgow coma scale: [29] Eye opening (Score 1-4) Spontaneous – 4 To speech – 3 To pain – 2 No response – 1 Verbal function (Score 1-5) Alert and oriented – 5 Confused/disoriented – 4 Inappropriate words – 3 Incomprehensible sounds – 2 No response – 1 Motor function (Score 1-6) Obeys commands – 6 Localizes pain – 5 Withdraws from pain – 4 Decorticate flexion – 3 Decerebrate extension – 2 No response – 1

Brain Trauma -- History and Physical -- Exam

Assuming that the patient's airway, breathing, and circulation are intact, the patient should then be evaluated using the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS), assessing for eye-opening, verbal responses, and motor responses. The minimum score is 3, and the maximum score is 15. Glasgow Coma Scale [10] : Eye-opening response Spontaneous (4) To verbal stimuli (3) To pain (2) No response (1) Verbal response Oriented (5) Confused (4) Inappropriate words (3) Incomprehensible speech (2) No response (1) Motor response Obeys commands for movement (6) Purpose movement to painful stimuli (5) Withdraws to painful stimuli (4) Flexion response to painful stimuli (decorticate posturing) (3) Extension response to painful stimuli (decerebrate posturing) (2) No response (1)

Neurologic Exam -- Clinical Significance -- Glasgow Coma Scale

The Glasgow coma scale (GCS) is a standard to determine the level of awareness in trauma or critically ill patients who present with impaired consciousness. It is a 15 point scale that gives a general idea of the extent of brain injury. [12] The GCS is divided and scored according to eye-opening, verbal response, and motor response. The eye-opening response is scored as spontaneous – 4, opens to verbal command – 3, opens to pain – 2, and no response – 1. The verbal response is scored as oriented – 5, confused – 4, inappropriate responses – 3, incomprehensible sounds – 2, and no response – 1. The motor response is scored as obeys commands – 6, spontaneous movement or localizes to painful stimuli – 5, withdrawal from pain – 4, abnormal flexion (decorticate) – 3, abnormal extension (decerebrate) – 2, and no response – 1. The scores are added and classified as follows: Minor brain injury – 13 to 15 points, moderate brain injury- 9 to 12 points, and severe brain injury- 3 to 8 points. [8]

An evidence-based approach to emergency ultrasound.

Paramedics bring into the ED an elderly man who is complaining of right-sided chest and abdominal pain. Earlier this morning, a friend had arrived at the patient's home and found him on the floor at the bottom of the stairs. The patient is in pain, somewhat altered, and unable to provide further details about what happened. After numerous attempts, the paramedics were only able to place a 22-gauge peripheral line. On examination, his blood pressure is 98/55 mm Hg, heart rate is 118 beats per minute, respiratory rate is 32 breaths per minute, oxygen saturation is 94% on a nonrebreather, and temperature is 36.0 degrees C (96.8 degrees F). His Glasgow Coma Scale score is 12 (eyes 3, verbal 4, motor 5). Given the unclear events surrounding his presentation and the concern for trauma, the patient is boarded and collared. His chest is stable but tender, and because of noise in the resuscitation room, you have difficulty auscultating breath sounds. The abdominal examination is notable for marked tenderness over the right upper quadrant and right flank, with some guarding. There is also mild asymmetric swelling of his right lower extremity. The patient is critically ill, his history is limited, and at this point the differential is quite broad. You consider the possibility of a syncopal episode followed by a fall, with a closed head injury, blunt thoracic trauma, and blunt abdominal trauma. His hypotension could be secondary to hypovolemia (dehydration or blood loss due to a ruptured aortic aneurysm), heart failure (left- or right-sided dysfunction), cardiac tamponade, tension pneumothorax, or sepsis. Your ED recently purchased an ultrasound machine, you wonder whether bedside ultrasound can help narrow the differential and guide your resuscitation. You call over one of your new faculty members who just finished resident training; a fortunate decision for both you and the patient.

Management of hypotony-related maculopathy after combined phacoemulsification and trabeculectomy: January consultation #1.

A 59-year-old man with mild to moderate pigmentary glaucoma was referred for management of hypotony-related maculopathy 3 years after combined phacoemulsification and trabeculectomy in his right eye. His ocular history is significant for retinal detachment in the right eye that was surgically treated with a pars plana vitrectomy and scleral buckle 5 years prior to the current presentation and 1 year prior to his combined phacoemulsification-trabeculectomy procedure. After trabeculectomy, he reportedly had a wound leak with hypotony and choroidal effusion. The patient was referred to a second surgeon who performed a bleb revision with a pericardial patch graft, but the patient had a severe intraocular pressure (IOP) spike in the immediate postoperative period requiring suture removal. This resulted in recurrent hypotony with maculopathy. A second bleb revision with pericardial patch graft was performed but was not successful in raising the IOP out of the single digits or in resolving the maculopathy. Accordingly, the patient was referred for further assessment. At presentation, the patient's corrected distance visual acuity was 20/100 in the right eye and 20/20 in the left eye. Applanation tonometry IOP was 4 mm Hg and 16 mm Hg for the right and left eyes, respectively. Central corneal thickness was 609 μm in the right eye and 574 μm in the left eye. The right pupil was noted to be slightly irregular with a relative afferent pupillary defect. Slitlamp examination of the right eye was notable for a moderately elevated, Seidel test-negative bleb, and deep anterior chamber. The left eye had a Krukenberg spindle and mild nuclear sclerotic cataract but was otherwise unremarkable. Fundus examination of the right eye was notable for significant macular folds with edematous nerve fiber layer (NFL) and optic nerve. The left optic nerve and fundus examination were unremarkable. Gonioscopy revealed open angles with dense trabecular meshwork pigment in both eyes. There was a nicely patent superior sclerostomy in the right eye. There was no cyclodialysis cleft. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) of the macula showed chorioretinal folds and NFL edema in the right eye and was normal in the left eye (Figure 1JOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202101000-00022/figure1/v/2021-01-04T143903Z/r/image-tiff). The OCT of the optic nerve in the right eye was distorted secondary to the chorioretinal folds, whereas the left eye was notable for mild superior thinning of the NFL (Figure 2JOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202101000-00022/figure2/v/2021-01-04T143903Z/r/image-tiff). Humphrey visual field revealed a superior nasal step in the right eye (Figure 3JOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202101000-00022/figure3/v/2021-01-04T143903Z/r/image-tiff). Axial lengths were 25.33 mm and 26.53 mm in the right and left eye, respectively; it is notable that the right eye had a shorter axial length despite the scleral buckle, which demonstrates the degree of axial shortening from hypotony (Figure 4JOURNAL/jcrs/04.03/02158034-202101000-00022/figure4/v/2021-01-04T143903Z/r/image-tiff). What would be your approach for managing this patient's hypotony? Does the fact that the referring surgeon had performed 2 failed bleb revision procedures prior to referral influence your approach? Given that a previous attempt at revision resulted in an extreme IOP spike would you also recommend a glaucoma procedure? If so, what procedure would you perform? Would you do it coincident with the revision or in a staged procedure later on an as-needed basis?

Maddox wing

Example instructions and examiner questions: "Hold the device up to your eyes and look into the eye piece as if you're reading a book" "What number is the white arrow pointing to?" It is important for the examiner to ask "Is it actually pointing to the number (e.g. number 4) or in between two numbers (e.g. between the numbers 3 and 5)?" This avoids possible confusion as only the odd numbers show on one side of the scale and the even figures on the other, if misinterpreted, diagnosis may be incorrect. "What number is the red arrow pointing to?" " I want you to lift the red torsion lever and hold it parallel to the red arrow" Recording Example: MW: cc exo 10∆ R/L 7∆ excyclo 4° OR MW: cc -10∆ R/L 7∆ excyclo 4° MW cc eso 5∆ ө Key:

Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale

The Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale (British English) or the Pediatric Glasgow Coma Score (American English) or simply PGCS is the equivalent of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) used to assess the level of consciousness of child patients. As many of the assessments for an adult patient would not be appropriate for infants, the Glasgow Coma Scale was modified slightly to form the PGCS. As with the GCS, the PGCS comprises three tests: eye, verbal and motor responses. The three values separately as well as their sum are considered. The lowest possible PGCS (the sum) is 3 (deep coma or death) whilst the highest is 15 (fully awake and aware person). The pediatric GCS is commonly used in emergency medical services. Coma scale Best eye response: (E) 4. Eyes opening spontaneously 3. Eye opening to speech 2. Eye opening to pain 1. No eye opening or response Best verbal response: (V)

InternalMed_Harrison

Several additional points about the examination are worth noting. First, in recording observations, it is important to describe what is found rather than to apply a poorly defined medical term (e.g., “patient groans to sternal rub” rather than “obtunded”). Second, subtle CNS abnormalities are best detected by carefully comparing a patient’s performance on tasks that require simultaneous activation of both cerebral hemispheres (e.g., eliciting a pronator drift of an outstretched arm with the eyes closed; extinction on one side of bilaterally applied light touch, also with eyes closed; or decreased arm swing or a slight asymmetry when walking). Third, if the patient’s complaint is brought on by some activity, reproduce the activity in the office. If the complaint is of dizziness when the head is turned in one direction, have the patient do this and also look for associated signs on examination (e.g., nystagmus or dysmetria). If pain occurs after walking two blocks, have the patient

[Diffuse axonal injury (DAI) in an autopsy case of head trauma with long survival].

The authors reported a clinico-pathological case survived 11 months after a traffic accident. A 41-year-old man had been hit by a motor car and was found in a state of semicoma. On admission, his consciousness level was III-100 to 200 (Japan Coma Scale). Pupils were isocoric; light reflex was present. Linear fracture of occipital bone was disclosed by Skull X-ray and subarachnoid hemorrhage was revealed on CT scan. This comatose state, lasting 24 hours, slowly improved and eventually he presented the so-called Korsakoff's syndrome until his death. He could not recognized his relatives, only uttered some meaningless words. He was unable to obey simple verbal orders. The patient was incontinent and right pyramidal sign was positive. On repeated CT scans, cerebral ventricles gradually increased in size; especially the enlargement of the fourth ventricle was remarkable. He expired of septic shock caused by bed sores. At autopsy brain weighed 1190 g. Old gloss contusional scars were observed on the bilateral frontal lobes including the orbital area and on the left temporal pole. Gliding contusions were revealed in the subcortical white matter beneath the left superior frontal convolution. Fibrillary gliosis was noted in this region, the deep white matter underlying the left temporal pole and the tissue surrounding the anterior horn of the left lateral ventricle. Nerve fibers were fragmented and lacerated at corpus callosum, anterior commissure and posterior limb of the left internal capsule. Bilateral pyramidal tracts showed mild myelin pallor at the brainstem. Loss of Purkinje cells were observed. This case would correspond to mile type of diffuse axonal injury proposed by Adams and Gennarelli. (ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

InternalMed_Harrison

When asked to copy a simple line drawing, the patient fails to copy detail on the left, and when the patient is asked to write, there is a tendency to leave an unusually wide margin on the left. Two bedside tests that are useful in assessing neglect are simultaneous bilateral stimulation and visual target cancellation. In the former, the examiner provides either unilateral or simultaneous bilateral stimulation in the visual, auditory, and tactile modalities. After right hemisphere injury, patients who have no difficulty detecting unilateral stimuli on either side experience the bilaterally presented stimulus as coming only from the right. This phenomenon is known as extinction and is a manifestation of the sensory-representational aspect of hemispatial neglect. In the target detection task, targets (e.g., A’s) are interspersed with foils (e.g., other letters of the alphabet) on a 21.5to 28.0-cm (8.5 to 11 in.) sheet of paper, and the patient is asked to circle all the targets. A

Purple-red papules on foot.

An 88-year-old Caucasian man of Italian ancestry came into our clinic with multiple, painful purple-red "growths" on his left foot that he'd had for several years. The patient had no systemic complaints (no fever, chills, weight loss, night sweats). He had a history of hypertension, a cardiac valve replacement, and chronic back pain (secondary to a motor vehicle accident). He was taking warfarin and nadolol. The patient had multiple, 0.1- to 0.5-cm purple-red papules and nodules on the dorsal and plantar surfaces of the left foot, with associated moderate lower extremity edema and mottled dyspigmentation. We did a punch biopsy, which showed a nodular neoplasm composed of moderately plump, spindle-shaped cells in short interweaving fascicles and numerous extravasated erythrocytes in the spaces ("vascular slits") between the spindle-shaped cells. What is your diagnosis, and how would you manage this condition?

Present arms (command)

When carrying an assault rifle, such as an AK-74M (the standard service rifle of the Russian Ground Forces) personnel will put the left hand flat over the neck of the weapon, while the right hand, which should have by default been on the barrel of the gun, stays the same. When performing an unarmed present arms, the right hand is brought to the right temple, while not quite, touching; the head has to be covered. The same format is also used by countries in the Russian led Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which includes countries such as Belarus, Armenia, and Tajikistan. Ukraine has conducted the command differently since the fall of the Soviet Union, executing it similarly to the Polish version.

Diffuse skin rash, altered mental status · Dx?

A 74-YEAR-OLD CAUCASIAN MAN presented to the hospital with intractable back and chest pain, a diffuse skin rash, and altered mental status. He said that 2 days ago, he'd gone to a different local hospital for treatment of back pain and a headache that had begun 3 days earlier. He was treated with intravenous hydromorphone and sent home with a prescription for meperidine. He said that several hours after being treated with the hydromorphone, the rash developed on his head and then spread to his trunk and upper extremities. WHAT IS YOUR DIAGNOSIS? HOW WOULD YOU TREAT THIS PATIENT?

Vadim Ershov

Initially, Ershov refused to give evidence, called himself with a false name and claimed to be a tramp. Later, while confessing to law enforcement officials, he pointed to his real residence where irrefutable evidence was found - the tools of the crime (two knives that he called "feathers"), as well as the belongings of the victims (old jacket and a worn coat) and their passports. An important clue against Ershov was his diary of seven columns, in which he wrote down all his attacks in detail: the first column - the number of the victim, the second - the time of year, the third - the instrument of the crime (capital "P" - committed with a knife; capital "N" - committed with a table knife; "p" - crime committed by hands or with a stick), the fourth - the nature of the injury ("p" - wound, "t" - corpse), the fifth - sex of the victim, the sixth - the crime scene and year of the crime. According to Ershov, the outcome of all his attacks was surely checked through the media (read

History of head trauma in a 6-year-old boy: maybe more than meets the eye (and head).

It is spring and you are meeting for the first time, Eddie, a recently turned 6-year-old boy who moved to the area in September of the previous year and is here for his 6-year-old health maintenance visit. Eddie's mother is concerned that although he is "only" in kindergarten, he is not retaining any information at school. His mother reports he knew some of his letters before kindergarten. Currently, when he is trying to write a word, for example, "daddy" he will need to ask his mother: "what letter is the letter D?" Before kindergarten, he knew his numbers 1 to 10. At times now, Eddie will forget these numbers. For example, "if he is counting he will forget what comes after 4 and what comes after 9." Mother reports he will start crying for no apparent reason and if she asks why, he will say "I don't know why." Mother is worried that Eddie is sad, although she denies suicidal ideation. She reports he used to like making noise with other kids, and now he cannot stand when the children are noisy. Eddie will comment he does not want to go to school because the kids make lots of noise and his head hurts. He complains of headaches as often as 2 to 3 times a month. She next states, "This was not an issue before his head trauma." At this point, she reveals to you that in August, before the family relocated, Eddie fell from a 7-foot deck onto concrete while playing. He struck his head on the left side and lost consciousness for several seconds until shaken awake. He was nauseous and disoriented initially but without emesis or incontinence. He was taken to the local emergency department where he was admitted for 1 day and diagnosed with closed head injury, left frontal epidural hematoma, and question of postconcussive syndrome. Eddie has gone back to see the neurosurgeon twice over the last 6 months for scheduled visits and since the accident has had no further treatment.Eddie's mother reports that before the accident, if she read him a story from a book, he could remember the details from the story. Currently, he does not have good memory recall. Before the trauma, he did not attend a preschool program but stayed home with his mother full time. Eddie's first formal schooling has been kindergarten this year. When they moved, the neurosurgeon recommended he start school at the end of September given his head trauma in August. He had a recent computed tomography completed 3 months ago showing the epidural hematoma had completely resolved and the study was otherwise normal. His mother reports he had an evaluation the spring before the accident for a kindergarten screening test and was reported as "excellent." Eddie's birth and medical history are otherwise unremarkable except for some seasonal allergies. He has not had a loss in language skill, although his mother reports he did not speak during his hospitalization. He would just stare and nod his head if someone would ask him a question. No family history of any learning or behavioral difficulties on either side of the family. Eddie has 2 older brothers, 10 and 7 years of age, with no learning issues.What would you do next?

Right Ho, Jeeves

I was reading in the paper the other day about those birds who are trying to split the atom, the nub being that they haven't the foggiest as to what will happen if they do. It may be all right. On the other hand, it may not be all right. And pretty silly a chap would feel, no doubt, if having split the atom he suddenly found the house going up in smoke and himself being torn limb from limb. When stirred, Bertie Wooster sometimes unintentionally employs spoonerisms, as he does in chapter 12: "Tup, Tushy!—I mean, Tush, Tuppy!". Bertie occasionally uses a transferred epithet, using an adjective to modify a noun rather than using the corresponding adverb to modify the verb of the sentence, as in the following quote in chapter 17: "It was the hottest day of the summer, and though somebody had opened a tentative window or two, the atmosphere remained distinctive and individual".

Paediatric Glasgow Coma Scale

Coma scale Best eye response: (E) 4. Eyes opening spontaneously 3. Eye opening to speech 2. Eye opening to pain 1. No eye opening or response Best verbal response: (V) 5. Smiles, oriented to sounds, follows objects, interacts. 4. Cries but consolable, inappropriate interactions. 3. Inconsistently inconsolable, moaning. 2. Inconsolable, agitated. 1. No verbal response. Source: Best motor responses: (M) 6. Infant moves spontaneously or purposefully 5. Infant withdraws from touch 4. Infant withdraws from pain 3. Abnormal flexion to pain for an infant (decorticate response) 2. Extension to pain (decerebrate response) 1. No motor response Any combined score of less than eight represents a significant risk of mortality. See also Apgar score References Diagnostic intensive care medicine Pediatrics Medical scales Coma Medical assessment and evaluation instruments

W. H. R. Rivers

This was the first stage of the recovery process and Head and Rivers dubbed it the "protopathic", taking its origins from the Middle Greek word protopathes, meaning "first affected". This protopathic stage seemed to be marked by an "all-or-nothing" aspect since there was either an inordinate response to sensation when compared with normal reaction or no reaction whatever if the stimulation was below the threshold. Finally, when Head was able to distinguish between different temperatures and sensations below the threshold, and when he could recognise when two compass points were applied simultaneously to the skin, Head's arm began to enter the second stage of recovery. They named this stage the "epicritic", from the Greek epikritikos, meaning "determinative".

Who rules the roost?

Adam's mother was concerned about her 3-year-old son's hyperactivity, violence, and activity level. Adam and his mom had recently moved into a shelter for pregnant women. The rest of the residents are primarily in their early 20s, whereas Adam's mom is 42. She had found about 3 months ago that she was pregnant. This was her fourth pregnancy, second with this father, and he had recently left her when she refused an abortion. Her other children are 22 and 24 and live out of state. She has a history of opioid addiction. She had been on methadone during Adam's gestation and had recently started on buprenorphine to treat her addiction during this pregnancy as well. Adam is here today for his 3-year-old checkup and you had not seen him for a year. Mom states that he has been healthy but has become progressively active over the last year. He is very angry about his dad leaving, and according to Adam's mother "blames her" for sending him away. They are living in 1 room at the shelter, and mom is finding it increasingly difficult to keep him busy all day. When she goes out looking for a job, he is very challenging at the shelter, and she constantly receives complaints that he is "too loud" in the common rooms. She feels like she is at the end of her rope with him, he is constantly climbing, bolting from her, and taking risks.When you examine Adam, you find a robust, healthy young boy. His eye contact is good, and he is socially related but does actively explore your office. When he begins taking the instruments off your wall, his mother sits passively watching him. When he begins playing with the faucet, she half heartedly tells him to "stop" but he looks at her and continues splashing. He then begins flicking the light switch on and off in the room with no response from mom. When you ask about discipline, mom states "nothing works." When you ask about supports, she states "I have nobody except Adam and the new baby now."Adam was born after an uneventful full-term pregnancy with his mother on 100 mg methadone daily. She denies cigarette smoking, drugs, alcohol, or other medications. Urine testing throughout was positive only for opioids. Motor milestones were achieved at the appropriate time. Language milestones at the 2-year-old visit consisted of 10 single words. Now, he has a 50 single-word vocabulary but no 2-word combinations. He primarily takes whatever he wants and has a tantrum if mom cannot figure out what he desires. Adam's medical history is unremarkable. Family history is significant for drug abuse by her father and mother; mental illness in the father's family consisting of bipolar disorder in several uncles. Where do you go from here?

[Automatic movements of extremities induced in primary massive brain lesion with apneic coma].

In three cases of primary massive brain lesion with apneic coma, various automatic movements of the extremities were elicited by physical or sensory stimulation. In each case, these movements appeared after a period of cessation of spontaneous respiration followed by flaccid tetraplegia. Brainstem reflexes were absent throughout in all cases. The movements were induced mainly by ventroflexion of the neck, and each case showed movements as described below: in the first case, the patient flexed her elbows and raised both arms slowly, a typical Lazarus sign; in the second case, the patient raised both arms and showed myoclonic movements; and the third case showed abduction of both legs and extension in the upper extremities. Pathology in the first case showed ischemic changes in the entire brain and brainstem. Although ischemic change was also found in the anterior horn cells and white matter of the spinal cord of C1-C4 and of T4 and below, the spinal cord of C5-T3 was relatively well-preserved. These movements appear to have essentially originated in spinal neurons; however, it is assumed that they must have recovered from spinal shock which occurred due to upper level transection. These movements were induced by ventroflexion of the neck, so mechanical extension of the spinal roots, mechanical compression of the spinal cord, and various modalities of the sensation afferent might have some relation to these movements. As tonic neck reflex might also be a cause of these, movements, association with the lower medulla could not be ruled out completely. These movements appeared nearing or after brain death. Although in each case of brain death the spinal cord may have been affected by specific conditions, such as impaired circulation of whole central nervous sysytem, it might have been transversed at upper level, which then causes spinal automatism. These movements might appear even in the state of brainstem death. In each case, the distribution and severity of hypoxic changes in the spinal cord may have resulted in variations in the type and characteristics of these movements.

[Importance of early rehabilitation of a child with severe multiple injuries: case report].

This is a case presentation of an eight-year-old boy, a traffic accident victim with severe polytrauma. The boy was admitted to hospital with lacerations and contusion injuries of the left basal frontal and left temporal brain region, moderate brain tissue edema and fracture of the left clavicle which were diagnosed by CT (computer tomography). The boy was in coma (Glasgow Coma Scale--5). Oral feeding and catheter removal were established after one month. Three months later his state of consciousness improved, he could carry out simple orders, started vocalization and visited ambulance by wheel chair. Speech and independent walking were achieved 4 months after the accident. Physical therapy included: neural-stimulation by Vojta and sclerodermal message from seventh day. Later on, speech and work therapy were applied. Drug therapy included: muscle relaxants and tranquilizers while orthopedic treatment meant plastic immobilization. Control CT revealed chronic subdural hemathoma in the right frontal-parietal region. The boy could walk, talk, have normal diet, and controlled sphincters four months after severe trauma. Now, he is functional and on the level of moderate mental retardation. Early rehabilitation was extremely important in his recovery.

List of Blame! characters

Blon - One of Davine Lu Linvega's henchmen. Blon is capable of creating worm-like creatures, possibly the same way the Safeguard use to 'download' common safeguards to any location. He can also release leech-like creatures, about a foot and a half long, which attach to a target's spine and render the target unconscious. Another of Blon's abilities is that he can use what is possibly alchemy to create radically different forms apart from his humanoid form. The first is a massive, metallic centipede-like creature which ravages Killy with multiple blades before Blon reveals his true form. As he finishes transforming into his humanoid form, Killy fires the Gravitational Beam Emitter at "Level 4" disintegrating all but Blon's head and the remains of his arms and legs. Several people believe that he dies here, but he actually appears later. His first defeat allows Pcell to detect the 70-kilometer long holes left by Killy's GBE. When Dhomochevsky, Cibo and Iko set out to find Killy and

Presbyopic patient with hyperopia and moderately steep corneas: December consultation #1.

A 47-year-old woman was referred for refractive surgery evaluation. She has no ocular or medical history. Spectacle dependence is her chief concern. She cannot tolerate contact lens. The corrected near and distance visual acuity (CDVA) are 20/20, easily, in both eyes. The manifest refraction is +3.50 in the right eye and +2.75 in the left eye (dominant eye). The intraocular pressure and the results from a slitlamp examination and a fundus retinoscopy are normal. She has no dry eye and no complaints of halos or glare. She works in an office using a computer most of the day.The Scheimpflug device revealed the thinnest point of corneal thickness to be 497 μm in the right eye and 501 μm in the left eye ( and ). Keratometry (K) values were K1 43.20 diopters (D), K2 45.00 D, and Kmax 45.50 D in the right eye and K1 43.40 D, K2 45.00 D, and Kmax 46.00 D in the left eye. Optical coherence tomography revealed thinnest epithelial thickness of 48 μm in the right eye and 49 μm in the left eye. A Zernike analysis showed low values for coma and spherical aberrations.(Figure is included in full-text article.)(Figure is included in full-text article.)The topographic maps, despite the relative scale, revealed a pattern that seems to truncate in the center, in both eyes, but especially in the right eye. Pachymetric progression indices were within normal limits ().(Figure is included in full-text article.)What kind of surgery (if any) would you recommend to this patient? Would you consider laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) with a thin, predictable LASIK flap? And in this case, what are your limits for final, postoperative steep K? How much concern would you have if this patient needed an excimer laser enhancement?Would you offer clear lens extraction (CLE)? And in this case any specific intraocular lens (IOL) model?What data helped you most in making your decision? If you recommend proceeding with surgery, would age have played any significant role in the decision process?

The Hand That Rocks the Wheelchair

as the butt of all the jokes, she's almost never funny or interesting." He concluded his review by stating, "I'm not sure I liked it, but I did engage with it, which is an improvement over the last few weeks of the show," and ultimately gave the episode a C+ rating, placing it third out of four, being beaten by The Simpsons episode "The Scorpion's Tale" and the Bob's Burgers episode "Sheesh! Cab, Bob?", and beating The Cleveland Show episode "The Blue, The Gray and The Brown". In a slightly more positive review of the episode, Jason Hughes of TV Squad praised the episode for its Meg-centric storyline, writing, "Meg is great as the incredibly needy, creepy, crazy, stalker type." Hughes also praised actress Mila Kunis for her portrayal of Meg, noting, "almost expected her to turn into Annie Wilkes from Misery and strap Joe to a bed." Hughes also stated his concern about the developments in the Stewie storyline writing, "I wonder if this was an acknowledgement that Stewie has changed

Image: Extensive Pneumocephalus.

A 53-year-old man was admitted to our hospital following a traffic accident. He had been riding a bicycle and was knocked down by a motorcycle, injuring the right side of his forehead. Upon arrival at our department, he was conscious and we found no cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea or otorrhea. His Glasgow Coma Scale score was 15. Neurologic examination was normal, except for reduced vision in his right eye. Head computed tomography showed extensive pneumocephalus involving the cisterna ambiens, prepontine and suprasellar cisterns, and temporal, frontal, parietal, and occipital lobes. A right frontal skull fracture was evident. The patient was treated conservatively, with bed rest with the head of the bed elevated at 30 degrees. The patient was instructed to avoid any movements that might increase intracranial pressure, and he was placed on conventional concentration oxygen therapy of about 40%. Repeat computed tomography 9 hours later showed partial absorption of the pneumocephalus, which was almost completely absorbed 4 days later. He recovered well and was discharged after 7 days. At the 1-month follow-up, the patient was well, although the reduced vision in his right eye persisted.

Eddie Rickenbacker

In a dramatic retelling of the incident, Rickenbacker's autobiography relates his astonishing experiences. While he was still conscious but in terrible pain, Rickenbacker was left behind while some ambulances carried away bodies of the dead. When Rickenbacker arrived at a hospital, his injuries appeared so grotesque that the emergency surgeons and physicians left him for dead for some time. They instructed their assistants to "take care of the live ones." Rickenbacker's injuries included a fractured skull, other head injuries, a shattered left elbow with a crushed nerve, a paralyzed left hand, several broken ribs, a crushed hip socket, a pelvis broken in two places, a severed nerve in his left hip, and a broken left knee. Rickenbacker's left eyeball was also blown out of its socket.

Apraxia, autism, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: do we have a new spectrum?

Gio is a bilingual 6-year 10-month-old boy new to your practice who presents for an unscheduled visit with concerns for speech and language delay. He was born in Portugal, and his native language is Portuguese. When he was 21 months old, his family moved to Italy and then moved to the United States 3 years later. He had very little contact with other children while living in Italy, but his parents report that he has made friends quickly in the United States. His family speaks Portuguese at home, although his father is fluent in English. He started school 3 months after moving to the United States and is currently repeating kindergarten. He is in a sheltered English classroom with several other students who speak Portuguese. He is able to understand and follow directions in English. A recent school evaluation revealed solidly average nonverbal reasoning skills and relative weaknesses in verbal reasoning and working memory. His speech is described as unintelligible in conversation, both in English and Portuguese. Results of a special education evaluation qualified him for services with a bilingual therapist. His teachers are very concerned that he may have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They describe him as having limited interest in other children, poor eye contact, and hypersensitivities. He wanders at recess. He is very skilled at art and seems to prefer to draw rather than interact with others. He needs constant support and redirection throughout the school day. He has difficulty putting on his coat, using playground equipment, and following daily classroom routines. On the Vanderbilt Rating Scale, his teacher endorses 17 of 18 ADHD symptoms as present often or very often and significant impairment in his performance. Gio presents to your clinic as a relatable young boy with childhood apraxia of speech. Only his productions of single words and short routine phrases are intelligible. He attempts to engage in conversation but averts his gaze and becomes frustrated when asked to repeat things. Scores on the Parent Conners Rating Scale and Social Responsiveness Scale are not elevated. When you bring up school's concerns, his father describes feeling somewhat badgered by his teachers about possibility of ASD. School is considering placement in an inclusion classroom for children with ASD. What do you recommend? How would you advise his parents?

Alien hand syndrome

When there is a major disconnection between the two hemispheres resulting from callosal injury, the language-linked dominant hemisphere agent which maintains its primary control over the dominant limb loses, to some degree, its direct and linked control over the separate "agent" based in the nondominant hemisphere, and the nondominant limb, which had been previously responsive and "obedient" to the dominant conscious agent. The possibility of purposeful action occurring outside of the realm of influence of the conscious dominant agent can occur and the basic assumption that both hands are controlled through and subject to the dominant agent is proven incorrect. The sense of agency that would normally arise from movement of the nondominant limb now no longer develops, or, at least, is no longer accessible to consciousness. A new explanatory narrative for understanding the situation in which the now inaccessible nondominant hemisphere based agent is capable of activating the

Apraxia, Autism, Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: Do We Have a New Spectrum?

Gio is a bilingual 6-year 10-month-old boy new to your practice who presents for an unscheduled visit with concerns for speech and language delay. He was born in Portugal, and his native language is Portuguese. When he was 21 months old, his family moved to Italy and then moved to the United States 3 years later. He had very little contact with other children while living in Italy, but his parents report that he has made friends quickly in the United States. His family speaks Portuguese at home, although his father is fluent in English.He started school 3 months after moving to the United States and is currently repeating kindergarten. He is in a sheltered English classroom with several other students who speak Portuguese. He is able to understand and follow directions in English. A recent school evaluation revealed solidly average nonverbal reasoning skills and relative weaknesses in verbal reasoning and working memory. His speech is described as unintelligible in conversation, both in English and Portuguese.Results of a special education evaluation qualified him for services with a bilingual therapist. His teachers are very concerned that he may have autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). They describe him as having limited interest in other children, poor eye contact, and hypersensitivities. He wanders at recess. He is very skilled at art and seems to prefer to draw rather than interact with others. He needs constant support and redirection throughout the school day. He has difficulty putting on his coat, using playground equipment, and following daily classroom routines. On the Vanderbilt Rating Scale, his teacher endorses 17 of 18 ADHD symptoms as present often or very often and significant impairment in his performance.Gio presents to your clinic as a relatable young boy with childhood apraxia of speech. Only his productions of single words and short routine phrases are intelligible. He attempts to engage in conversation but averts his gaze and becomes frustrated when asked to repeat things. Scores on the Parent Conners Rating Scale and Social Responsiveness Scale are not elevated. When you bring up school's concerns, his father describes feeling somewhat badgered by his teachers about possibility of ASD.School is considering placement in an inclusion classroom for children with ASD. What do you recommend? How would you advise his parents?


Question of very high difficulty, I would not worry about having failed it. It is easy to get confused with the hypoparathyroidism answer. Permanent post-surgical hypoparathyroidism after parathyroidectomy of an adenoma with minimally invasive surgery is rare. I write a brief summary of the hungry bone syndrome that I have found in a clinical case in the Annals of Internal Medicine [1]: "The pathophysiology of the hungry bone syndrome (HBS) is related to an imbalance between bone formation and bone resorption, which is associated with hypocalcemia, hypophosphatemia and hypomagnesemia (1). This syndrome can be observed after surgery in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT), as well as in tertiary HPT of chronic renal failure, and to a lesser extent after treatment of processes with excess of circulating thyroid hormones (2). In PTH, there is an excess of parathyroid hormone (PTH) which stimulates osteoclastic activity causing demineralization of the bone matrix and releasing calcium into the bloodstream. After parathyroidectomy, serum PTH levels drop dramatically, thus, PTH-induced bone resorption ceases, while osteoblastic activity continues resulting in increased bone uptake of calcium, phosphate and magnesium, thus SHH appears (3)."

A 55-year-old woman consults for fatigue and polyuria of two years' evolution. Laboratory tests reveal hypercalcemia, increased PTH and increased bone turnover markers. The radiographic study shows subperiosteal resorption and osteoporosis. Sestamibi scintigraphy revealed a parathyroid adenoma. Parathyroidectomy was performed with minimally invasive surgery. Postoperatively, the patient developed severe hypocalcemia and tetany, with PTH below 5 ng/l. The patient responds well to initial treatment with intravenous calcium and later with oral calcium and vitamin D. What is the most likely diagnosis?

[Primary hyperparathyroidism. Postoperative normocalcemic hyperparathyrinemia after curative parathyroidectomy].

Normocalcemic hyperparathyrinemia, i.e. elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels after parathyroidectomy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) may occur in the course of postoperative recovery without the development of persistence or relapse. Intraoperative and long-term (7 year) postoperative PTH and calcium levels after curative parathyroidectomy are demonstrated on the basis of a case report of a 62-year-old female patient with severe pHPT and pronounced osseous and renal manifestations. The intraoperative PTH gradient displayed a decrease from 1072 pg/ml to 13 pg/ml (normal range 11-67 pg/ml) followed by an increase of up to 287 pg/ml. The hyperparathyoid values decline to subnormal levels on administration of calcium and vitamin D and increase again after tapering these medications. The inverse calcium/PTH correlation in the course of the 7-year observation period suggests an intact feed-back mechanism. Preoperative PTH screening was performed in 316 consecutive normocalcemic thyroid patients to evaluate the rate of incidental hyperparathyroidism in patients with normal serum calcium levels. Of these patients 31 (9.8%) with normocalcemia (average 2.28 mmol/l, normal range 2.1-2.7 mmol/l) exhibited increased PTH levels averaging 84.2 pg/ml. A parathyroid adenoma was found intraoperatively as the cause for normocalcemic pHPT in only 1 of these 31 patients. A review of the literature revealed that late postoperative elevated parathyroid hormone levels after successful pHPT surgery occur in 21.5%. Multiple causes are discussed, e.g. reactive hyperparathyroidism in cases of relative hypocalcemia, hungry bone syndrome, vitamin D deficiency, renal dysfunction and ethnic or lifestyle differences. In mild cases of postoperative hyperparathyrinemia observation of the patient may be sufficient. In cases of reactive hyperparathyroidism due to hypocalcemia, administration of calcium is indicated, in symptomatic patients, additional administration of vitamin D or calcitriol is necessary. Vitamin D deficiency per se needs adequate substitution. In cases of ongoing hyperparathyrinemia an interdisciplinary diagnostic and therapeutic approach is required.

[The hungry bone syndrome--an update].

The Hungry Bone Syndrome (HBS) represents an important cause of prolonged hypocalcemia after parathyreoidectomy (PTX) due to primary, secondary or tertiary hyperparathyreoidism. The sudden postoperative withdrawal of parathyroid hormone (PTH) induces a stop in osteoclastic bone resorption without affecting the osteoblastic activity. Consequently, an increased bone uptake of calcium, phosphate and magnesium is observed. Risk factors for the development of HBS include: Large parathyroid adenomas, age > 60 years, high preoperative levels of serum PTH, calcium and alkaline phosphatase. In these patients a careful monitoring of clinical symptoms of hypocalcemia as well as the laboratory parameters are warranted during the immediate postoperative period. Treatment with oral calcium, and especially in patients with renal failure, additionally active vitamin D should be started as soon as possible after PTX. In severe cases of HBS, the administration of intravenous calcium is necessary. The duration of therapy is governed by symptoms and severity of the HBS and may last for up to 12 or more months. While prevention of HBS in high risk patients includes preoperative Vitamin D, the role of bisphosphonates has yet to be established.

[Primary hyperparathyreoidism - diagnostic procedures and management].

Hypercalcemia as a laboratory result is often diagnosed during evaluation for osteoporosis. Any form of hypercalcemia should be evaluated further. Owing to fluctuating calcium levels, the measurement should be repeated and corrected for elevated albumin levels by calculation or by measuring ionized calcium. In the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, measurement of parathyroid hormone, creatinine/glomerular filtration rate, phosphate, 25-OH vitamin D3 and 24-hour urine values are essential for differential diagnosis. Kidney ultrasound is used to detect nephrocalcinosis or kidney stones, and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) to determine bone mineral density (BMD) at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, total femur, and distal forearm. Complete cure is only possible through surgical resection of the adenoma(s). The indication for surgery is dependent on the age of the patient, existing complications, and the patient's preference. Diagnostic imaging should only be performed if surgery is planned. Typically, neck ultrasound and 99mTc MIBI scintigraphy are sufficient to localize the parathyroid adenoma. Presurgical diagnostic evaluation of the thyroid is reasonable for surgical planning. Vitamin-D deficiency should be normalized before surgery. Postsurgical calcium and vitamin-D administration will prevent postsurgical hypocalcemia and hungry-bone disease, and may optimize the outcome of BMD. Treatment of osteoporosis without fractures might not be necessary, owing to normalization of BMD several years after parathyroid surgery. The continuation of specific anti-osteoporotic treatment with bisphosphonates post-surgery did not have any advantage and hence cannot be recommended.

Short-term outcomes of parathyroidectomy in patients with or without 25-hydroxy vitamin D insufficiency.

25-OH Vitamin D (VitD) plays a role in serum calcium (Ca) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) homeostasis. VitD insufficiency in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) may be associated with greater disease severity and a higher incidence of multi-gland disease and postoperative normocalcemic PTH elevation. One hundred ten patients with HPT undergoing parathyroidectomy had preoperative VitD levels as follows: levels were insufficient (< or =20 ng/mL) in 55 patients (group 1) and sufficient (>20 ng/mL) in 55 patients (group 2). All patients had preoperative localizing sestamibi scans and/or ultrasounds and postoperative serum Ca and PTH levels. A focused approach was performed when possible, and intraoperative PTH monitoring (IPM) was used in all patients. Patients with VitD insufficiency had significantly higher preoperative Ca (11.3 +/- 1.2 versus 10.8 +/- 0.9 mg/dL, P = 0.012) and PTH levels (204 +/- 138 versus 156 +/- 179 pg/mL; P = 0.006) as well as higher bone specific alkaline phosphatase (P = 0.006). Localization studies were similar. IPM levels were significantly higher in group 1 at all time intervals. Both groups were similar in operative time, conversions to bilateral explorations, number of glands removed, and number of frozen sections. The glands in group 1 were larger (1757 versus 524 g; P = 0.005). Postoperative Ca levels, PTH levels, rates of eucalcemia, and rates of eucalcemic PTH elevation were all similar. Patients with HPT and VitD insufficiency may have significantly more severe disease based on preoperative serum Ca and PTH levels, bone markers, and gland size. IPM levels in these patients are higher but can be used to predict postoperative eucalcemia, an outcome which appears be independent of VitD status.

Hyperparathyroidism

Primary hyperparathyroidism may only be cured by removing the adenoma or overactive parathyroid glands. In those without symptoms, mildly increased blood calcium levels, normal kidneys, and normal bone density monitoring may be all that is required. The medication cinacalcet may also be used to decrease PTH levels in those unable to have surgery although it is not a cure. In those with very high blood calcium levels, treatment may include large amounts of intravenous normal saline. Low vitamin D should be corrected in those with secondary hyperparathyroidism but low Vitamin D pre-surgery is controversial for those with primary hyperparathyroidism. Low vitamin D levels should be corrected post-parathyroidectomy.

Hypoparathyroidism

Hypoparathyroidism is decreased function of the parathyroid glands with underproduction of parathyroid hormone (PTH). This can lead to low levels of calcium in the blood, often causing cramping and twitching of muscles or tetany (involuntary muscle contraction), and several other symptoms. It is a very rare disease. The condition can be inherited, but it is also encountered after thyroid or parathyroid gland surgery, and it can be caused by immune system-related damage as well as a number of rarer causes. The diagnosis is made with blood tests, and other investigations such as genetic testing depending on the results. The primary treatment of hypoparathyroidism is calcium and vitamin D supplementation. Calcium replacement or vitamin D can ameliorate the symptoms but can increase the risk of kidney stones and chronic kidney disease. However teriparatide, brand name Forteo, a biosimilar peptide to parathyroid hormone, may be given by injection.

Hyperparathyroidism

Common manifestations of hypercalcemia include weakness and fatigue, depression, bone pain, muscle soreness (myalgias), decreased appetite, feelings of nausea and vomiting, constipation, pancreatitis, polyuria, polydipsia, cognitive impairment, kidney stones (), vertigo and osteopenia or osteoporosis. A history of acquired racquet nails (brachyonychia) may be indicative of bone resorption. Radiographically, hyperparathyroidism has a pathognomic finding of rugger jersey spine. Parathyroid adenomas are very rarely detectable on clinical examination. Surgical removal of a parathyroid tumor eliminates the symptoms in most patients. In secondary hyperparathyroidism due to lack of Vitamin D absorption, the parathyroid gland is behaving normally; clinical problems are due to bone resorption and manifest as bone syndromes such as rickets, osteomalacia, and renal osteodystrophy.

[Primary hyperparathyroidism: diagnosis and management].

The prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) varies between 1 and 4/1.000 in the general population. HPT is nowadays most often asymptomatic. The classical bone disease has been replaced by osteopenia or osteoporosis with a preferential bone loss in cortical sites. The incidence of nephrolithiasis has been considerably lowered, but renal lithiasis is still the most frequent complication of HPT. The diagnosis is most often made by chance or during the workup of an abnormal bone mass. Hypercalcemia and an elevated PTH concentration, or at least a PTH level in the upper part of the normal range, generally point to a diagnosis of HPT. Additional tests include an evaluation of renal function, vitamin D measurement, determination of 24-hour urinary calcium and bone densitometry. Besides symptomatic HPT, classical recommendations for surgery include age less than 50, serum Ca at least 1 mg/dl above the upper limit of normal, creatinine clearance < 60 ml/min and osteoporosis. Surgical referral will, however, take into account patient age and comorbidities, as well as patient preferences. In the hands of an experienced surgeon, the success rate of parathyroidectomy is 95-98% and the rate of permanent complications is 1-3%. Parathyroid scintigraphy is the best preoperative localization technique of the adenoma. When surgery is contraindicated or refused by the patient, bisphosphonates or cinacalcet can be indicated in cases of osteoporosis or clinically significant hypercalcemia, respectively.

[Normocalcemic with elevated post-operative parathormone in primary hyperpara-thyroidism: 9 case reports and literature review].

To summarize and analyze the clinical characteristics of primary hyperpara-thyroidism (PHPT) with normocalcemic parathormone elevation (NPE) after surgical treatment, so as to improve the therapeutic ability and standardized post-operative follow-up of PHPT patients. Nine patients who were diagnosed with PHPT in the Department of Endocrinology of China-Japan Friendship Hospital from August 2017 to November 2019 were selected as the subjects. They all developed NPE within 6 months after surgical treatment. The clinical features and outcomes were collected and analyzed retrospectively, in addition, the related literature was reviewed. Clinical features: among the 9 patients, 6 were middle-aged and elderly females and 3 were male. The main clinical manifestations were bone pain, kidney stones, nausea and fatigue except for one case of asymptomatic PHPT. Pre-operative examination showed high serum calcium [(3.33±0.48) mmol/L], low serum phosphorus [0.76 (0.74, 0.78) mmol/L], high 24-hour urinary calcium [8.1(7.8, 12.0) mmol/24 h], obviously elevated intact PTH [(546.1±257.7) ng/L], vitamin D deficiency [25-hydroxyvitamin D<sub3</sub (21.0±5.7) nmol/L]. Serum levels of bone alkaline phosphatase [7 patients 41.3(38.6, 68.4) μg/L, 2 patients >90 μg/L] and N-terminal midcourse osteocalcin (>71.4 μg/L) were significantly elevated. The estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased in 2 patients. Imaging examination: 7 patients had osteoporosis. Renal calculi were found in 3 patients by renal ultrasound. Imaging examination of parathyroid glands found definite lesions in all the patients, including 2 cases of multiple lesions and 7 cases of single lesions. two patients underwent parathyroidectomy, while other patients were treated with microwave thermal ablation. PTH increased 1 month after therapy [(255.0±101.4) ng/L], and no recurrent lesions were found by parathyroid ultrasound. After combined treatment with cal-cium and vitamin D for six months, PTH decreased significantly and the level of serum calcium remained normal at anytime during the follow-up period. The occurrence of postoperative NPE may be related to the higher pre-operative PTH, vitamin D deficiency and lower creatinine clearance. However, NPE may not predict recurrent hyperthyroidism or incomplete parathyroidectomy. Adequate calcium and vitamin D supplementation after surgery seems to be beneficial for patients with NPE. Post-operative follow-up of PHPT patients should be standardized to prevent and treat post-operative NPE.

Parathyroidectomy

Complications While mild hypocalcemia is common after partial parathyroidectomy, some people experience persistently prolonged low calcium levels. This is called hungry bone syndrome. Despite the reactivation of unresected parathyroid glands producing normal to elevated levels of PTH, serum calcium continues to be low. The balance between calcium influx and efflux within the bone continues to be disrupted, favoring the former. The bone is said to be "hungry" as it consumes minerals without regard to PTH; calcium, magnesium, and phosphate continue to be deposited into the bones, resulting into hypocalcemia, hypomagnesemia, and hypophosphatemia. Prolonged calcium supplementation may be required. Hungry bone syndrome is particularly common in people who are on long-term regular dialysis. See also List of surgeries by type References External links Surgical removal procedures Endocrine surgery

Tertiary hyperparathyroidism

Early pharmaceutical treatment for tertiary hyperparathyroidism may include supplementing vitamin D and the use of cinacalcet. Cinacalcet acts to increase the sensitivity of the calcium sensing receptors to calcium leading to a reduction in parathyroid hormone release, however, its use has limited impact in those with tertiary hyperparathyroidism. These treatments are more likely only transient therapies before parathyroidectomy is performed. Indications for surgery in tertiary hyperparathyroidism commonly involve the development of chronic, severe conditions including osteopenia, persistent severe hypercalcemia, bone pain and pathologic fracture. Other indications include development of conditions such calciphylaxis. Surgical options for tertiary hyperparathyroidism include subtotal parathyroidectomy (three and one half of total tissue) and total parathyroidectomy with autotransplatation of resected tissue. Outcomes from surgery are generally favourable and a return to normalised

InternalMed_Harrison

A decline in serum calcium occurs within 24 h after successful surgery; usually blood calcium falls to low-normal values for 3–5 days until the remaining parathyroid tissue resumes full hormone secretion. Acute postoperative hypocalcemia is likely only if severe bone mineral deficits are present or if injury to all the normal parathyroid glands occurs during surgery. In general, there are few problems encountered in patients with uncomplicated disease such as a single adenoma (the clear majority), who do not have symptomatic bone disease or a large deficit in bone mineral, who are vitamin D and magnesium sufficient, and who have good renal and gastrointestinal function. The extent of postoperative hypocalcemia varies with the surgical approach. If all glands are biopsied, hypocalcemia may be transiently symptomatic and more prolonged. Hypocalcemia is more likely to be symptomatic after second parathyroid explorations, particularly when normal parathyroid tissue was removed at the

Secondary hyperparathyroidism after removal of a parathyroid adenoma.

To report a case of secondary hyperparathyroidism after successful extirpation of a single parathyroid adenoma. We present the clinical, pathologic, and laboratory findings in a 29-year-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism. Serum calcium, phosphorus, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations, bone turnover, and results of densitometry studies before and after parathyroidectomy were evaluated. A young woman had noted fatigue, nervousness, weight loss, back pain, and polyuria for 3 months. She had hypercalcemia, hypophosphatemia, high PTH concentrations, and increased markers of bone turnover. Subperiosteal bone resorption of the distal phalanges, femoral and spine osteopenia, and osteoporosis in the radius were found. A nodule was palpated in the right side of the neck and localized by ultrasonography, nuclear medicine imaging studies, and computed tomography. A single parathyroid adenoma was removed; no other parathyroid lesions were found. Postoperatively, hypoparathyroidism developed. Supplementation with intravenously and orally administered calcium and vitamin D relieved her symptoms and normalized the serum calcium and phosphate concentrations. Subsequently, however, PTH levels were high and remained above the upper normal range for 27 weeks of follow-up, while calcium concentrations remained normal. These findings were consistent with physiologic secondary hyperparathyroidism due to "hungry bone syndrome," in the setting of normal renal function. Postoperatively, markers of bone resorption declined faster than those of bone formation, and sequential densitometry studies showed increments in bone mineral density. This patient with primary hyperparathyroidism fulfilled the criteria for surgical extirpation of the neck mass. The prolonged postoperative increase in PTH level was indicative of physiologic secondary hyperparathyroidism that resolved gradually, along with the normalization of the increased bone turnover and bone mineral density during the 40-week observation period.

Secondary hyperparathyroidism

Extended Release Calcifediol was recently approved by the FDA as a treatment for secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT) in adults with stage 3 or 4 chronic kidney disease (CKD) and low vitamin D blood levels (25-hydroxyvitamin D less than 30 ng/mL). It can help treat SHPT by increasing Vitamin D levels and lowering parathyroid hormone or PTH. It is not indicated for people with stage 5 CKD or on dialysis. In the treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism due to chronic kidney disease on dialysis calcimimetics do not appear to affect the risk of early death. It does decrease the need for a parathyroidectomy but caused more issues with low blood calcium levels and vomiting. Most people with hyperparathyroidism secondary to chronic kidney disease will improve after renal transplantation, but many will continue to have a degree of residual hyperparathyroidism (tertiary hyperparathyroidism) post-transplant with associated risk of bone loss, etc.

[Primary hyperparathyroidism: postoperative long-term evolution].

The long-term postoperative outcome of 87 patients with primary hyperparathyrodism is here presented. Of the total 78 were females and 9 males, ratio: 8.7:1. Mean age 55.3 ± 10.2 years. Before surgery, 44% had kidney stones, 70% had osteopenia or osteoporosis and 71.2% had hypercalciuria. Decrease renal glomerular filtration was found in 12.6%. Of the total, 72 patients had a single adenoma, two double adenoma, two hyperplasia, four had normal histology and seven could not dispose of the result. Serum calcium, ionized calcium, phosphorus and intact parathyroid hormone were normalized in all post surgery patients. Bone mineral density increased by 6.9% in lumbar spine and 3% in femoral neck. Markers of bone remodeling were normalized and persisted normal 23 months of follow-up, coinciding with the normal intact parathyroid hormone. Same thing happened with the values of 25 OH D. When patients whith initial hypercalciuria were compared with those with normocalciuria, no differences were found in the basal values and postsurgery in both groups. In 11 patients with previous renal glomerular filtration < 60 ml ÷ min, we found a higher intact parathyroid hormone and lower bone mineral density than the rest. The glomerular filtration rate did not change significantly after surgery. In conclusion, the surgical primary hyperparathyroidism, operated by specialized surgeons has an excellent long-term outcome, with normalization of all parameters of phosphocalcic metabolism and bone remodeling and significant improvement in bone mineral density. Adverse effects were scarce and had spontaneous resolution.

Atypical Parathyroid Adenoma Complicated with Protracted Hungry Bone Syndrome after Surgery: A Case Report and Literature Review.

Hungry Bone Syndrome refers to the severe and prolonged hypocalcemia and hypophosphatemia, following parathyroidectomy in patients with hyperparathyroidism. We present the case of an eighteen-year-old woman with a four-year history of hyporexia, polydipsia, weight loss, growth retardation, and poor academic performance. The diagnostic work-up demonstrated primary hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcemia of 13.36 mg/dL, a PTH level of 2551 pg/mL, bone brown tumors, and microcalcifications within pancreas and kidneys. Neck ultrasonography revealed a parathyroid adenoma of 33 × 14 × 14 mm, also identified on (99)Tc-sestamibi scan. Bone densitometry showed decreased Z-Score values (total lumbar Z-Score of -4.2). A right hemithyroidectomy and right lower parathyroidectomy were performed. Pathological examination showed an atypical parathyroid adenoma, of 3.8 g of weight and 2.8 cm in diameter. After surgery she developed hypocalcemia with tetany and QTc interval prolongation. The patient required 3 months of oral and intravenous calcium supplementation due to Hungry Bone Syndrome (HBS). After 42 months, she is still under oral calcium. Usually HBS lasts less than 12 months. Therefore we propose the term "Protracted HBS" in patients with particularly long recovery of 1 year. We present a literature review of the diagnosis, pathophysiology, and treatment of HBS.

Utility of rapid intraoperative parathyroid hormone assay to predict severe postoperative hypocalcemia after reoperation for hyperparathyroidism.

Patients undergoing reoperative parathyroidectomy may develop severe transient or permanent hypoparathyroidism. This study's purpose was to determine the utility of intraoperative parathyroid hormone (IO-PTH) values in predicting the development of severe hypocalcemia for patients undergoing reoperation for primary hyperparathyroidism. Between March 1999 and October 2001, 68 patients with persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism underwent reoperation using IO-PTH measurements. The maximum percent decrease and lowest actual PTH value obtained at surgery were compared to determine any correlation with the development of postoperative hypocalcemia requiring supplementation. Of 68 patients, 25 required calcium and calcitriol postoperatively and 43 did not. There was a significant difference between the 2 groups with respect to lowest IO-PTH value (18.4 +/- 2.6 vs 28.0 +/- 3.9 pg/mL; P =.02), percent decrease in IO-PTH (89% +/- 1% vs 80% +/- 3%; P =.03), and lowest postoperative ionized calcium (1.06 +/- 0.01 vs 1.19 +/- 0.01 mmol/L; P <.001). A percent decrease in IO-PTH of 84% or greater was found to be predictive of patients experiencing hypocalcemia requiring supplementation with a positive predictive value of 46% and a negative predictive value of 82%. Although a maximum percent decrease in IO-PTH of 84% or greater was associated with an increased incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia requiring supplementation in the 68-patient cohort, on further analysis the association was significant only for patients with multiglandular disease and not those with single adenomas. This value may be useful for identifying patients who will need closer postoperative monitoring or prophylactic supplementation.

Osteoporosis

uterus and breast gland. The α-form of the estrogen receptor appears to be the most important in regulating bone turnover. In addition to estrogen, calcium metabolism plays a significant role in bone turnover, and deficiency of calcium and vitamin D leads to impaired bone deposition; in addition, the parathyroid glands react to low calcium levels by secreting parathyroid hormone (parathormone, PTH), which increases bone resorption to ensure sufficient calcium in the blood. The role of calcitonin, a hormone generated by the thyroid that increases bone deposition, is less clear and probably not as significant as that of PTH.

Daily follow-up of serum parathyroid hormone and calcium after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism.

To describe the course of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and serum calcium after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism and to evaluate the usefulness of daily measurement of these parameters. Prospective clinical study. University hospital K. U. Leuven. Daily monitoring of PTH and serum calcium (preoperatively, the first to the 5th postoperative day, and around the 10th day) in 30 patients where a parathyroid adenoma was removed and in 1 patient with a negative neck exploration. In the adenoma cases, PTH and serum calcium showed a sharp drop of PTH to a very low level already on the first postoperative day, whereafter a rapid recovery of the PTH was seen. Serum calcium decreased more slowly: on average, the lowest calcium level was measured on the third day, when a majority of the patients were temporarily hypocalcemic; after 2 weeks, only four patients remained slightly hypocalcemic and no one showed recurrence of the hypercalcemia. In contrast, after unsuccessful surgery (biopsy of four normal glands), the PTH decrease on the first day was far less pronounced and the hypercalcemia disappeared only for a short time. After removal of a parathyroid adenoma, an abrupt fall of PTH precedes the decrease of serum calcium. The first day's PTH level is a reliable indicator of the success of the intervention, and it should be a major point in the postoperative biochemical follow-up. Repeated measurements of serum calcium are useful, but the daily dosage of PTH might be omitted for economic reasons.

Severe hypocalcemia following bisphosphonate treatment in a patient with Paget's disease of bone.

Bisphosphonate therapy is a common and effective treatment for Paget's disease of bone, osteoporosis, hypercalcemia of malignancy and cancer metastatic to bone. Clinically significant hypocalcemia has not been reported in patients with Paget's disease of bone and normal parathyroid function treated with an aminobisphosphonate. We treated a 52-year-old woman with polyostotic Paget's disease of bone (serum alkaline phosphatase level-1971 IU/L [normal 31-110 IU/L]), who had not previously received bisphosphonates, with daily oral 30 mg risedronate, oral 1000 mg elemental calcium and oral 400 IU cholecalciferol. After 10 days of treatment, she developed severe hypocalcemia (5.4 mg/dL [normal 8.7-10.2 mg/dL]), requiring hospitalization and support with 5 days of intravenous calcium gluconate. On the day risedronate treatment began, her PTH was low normal at 14 pg/mL (normal 12-72 pg/mL), consistent with a relatively suppressed PTH axis due to high bone turnover. Her vitamin D level was within normal limits (serum 25(OH)D 19 ng/mL [normal 8-38 ng/mL]), although possibly not optimally repleted. We hypothesize that this case represents an example of hungry bone syndrome in a patient with extensive Paget's disease of bone who received risedronate, causing acute suppression of bone resorption while elevated bone formation rates continued. In the year following her recovery, the patient was successfully treated with slowly titrated anti-resorptive therapy (subcutaneous calcitonin followed by titrated doses of risedronate), and is now clinically well. Physicians should be aware of the potential for hypocalcemia when patients with polyostotic Paget's disease and markedly elevated indicators of bone remodeling are initiated on powerful anti-resorptive therapy.

Improvements in parathyroid surgery in the intact 1-84 PTH assay era.

Measurement of intact 1-84 parathormone (PTH) level by immunometric assays has been an important tool in the medical management of hypercalcaemia. The aim of the present study was to evaluate its practical contribution in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism. The results of surgery were compared (number of failed and inadequate cervicotomies, number of overlooked cervical glands) in two groups of primary hyperparathyroid patients operated on without (group I, n = 624) and with (group II, n = 360) intact PTH evaluation. The postoperative intact PTH level was measured 1-50 months after surgery in 109 unselected normocalcaemic patients. The benefit of intact PTH assay was studied in borderline patients. We tried to settle a correlation between parathyroid resected weight and intact PTH pre-operative level in different subsets of the disease. The sensitivity for the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was 86.6% for intact PTH level alone, and 95.9% when plotted with synchronous serum total calcium. Hyperfunctional adenoma was incidentally discovered in 14 asymptomatic normocalcemic normo-PTH patients. The predictive positive value of intact PTH assay for the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was 99.3%. Intact PTH assay often affirmed the diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism in borderline cases. The postoperative intact PTH measurement was not a good indicator for evaluating the late outcome in seemingly cured patients. Sharp but statistically significant correlation was found between the resected weight and the intact PTH level. The discovery of a small adenoma in a patient with high intact PTH level, bone disease and low vitamin D level should raise suspicion of a second hyperfunctioning gland. Intact PTH assay was a main contributor to the surgical management of primary hyperparathyroidism, reducing the number of unnecessary cervicotomies and enabling the cure of all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism except those due to mediastinal glands. It raised unanswered problems in the late postoperative course.

Parathyroidectomy

Recovery after the operation tends to be swift. The PTH level is back to normal within 10–15 minutes, and can be confirmed by intraoperative rapid assessment during the operation. However, the remaining parathyroid glands may take hours to several weeks to return to their normal functioning levels (as they may have become dormant). Calcium supplements are therefore often required to prevent symptoms of hypocalcemia and to restore lost bone mass. The patient is placed in a semi-Fowler position and the neck is extended. An abbreviated Kocher incision is made and the platysma muscle is dissected horizontally. The strap muscles are released off of the thyroid gland. Then the thyroid gland is mobilized and the parathyroid arterial blood supply is suture ligated. The entire parathyroid adenoma is identified and dissected out. Intraoperative PTH monitoring can begin at this time and will show falling PTH levels if the entire adenoma has been resected. Complications

Hyperparathyroidism

Surgery can rarely result in hypoparathyroidism. Secondary In people with secondary hyperparathyroidism, the high PTH levels are an appropriate response to low calcium and treatment must be directed at the underlying cause of this (usually vitamin D deficiency or chronic kidney failure). If this is successful, PTH levels return to normal levels, unless PTH secretion has become autonomous (tertiary hyperparathyroidism). Calcimimetics A calcimimetic (such as cinacalcet) is a potential therapy for some people with severe hypercalcemia and primary hyperparathyroidism who are unable to undergo parathyroidectomy, and for secondary hyperparathyroidism on dialysis. Treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism with a calcimimetic in those on dialysis for CKD does not alter the risk of early death; however, it does decrease the likelihood of needing a parathyroidectomy. Treatment carries the risk of low blood calcium levels and vomiting.

[PTH assay in the first postoperative day after thyroidectomy early predictor postoperative hypocalcemia?].

The purpose of our study is to verify if PTH assay on the first postoperative day is a reliable early predictor of the onset of hypocalcemia. Between October 1999 and May 2000, a prospective trial involved 162 patients who underwent total or near total thyroidectomy at our institute. On the basis of PTH assay on first day we divided the patients in three groups: group A 28 patients with PTH < 10 pg/ml; group B 34 patients with PTH between 10 and 16 pg/ml; group C 100 patients with PTH > 16 pg/ml. In group A: 22 of 28 patients (78.5%) developed postoperative hypocalcemia and 20 (71.4%) needed replacement therapy; in group B: 14 of 34 (41.1%) had postoperative hypocalcemia and 10 (29.4%) received treatment; in group C: 23 of 100 (23%) became hypocalcemic after surgery but only 5 (5%) require calcium-vitamin therapy. A statistically significant correlation (p = 0.0017) was identified between post-operative PTH levels and lowest blood calcium values detected after surgery. The correlation between the drop in blood calcium levels after surgery and postoperative PTH (delta Ca) was statistically even more significant (p = 0.0002); the lower the postoperative PTH, the higher the absolute value of the delta Ca. The authors suggest a clinical approach and pharmacological treatment protocol based on the outcome of PTH assay on the first post-operative day; a solution that is only apparently more costly because it in fact aims to ensure a more timely recourse to blood calcium monitoring or replacement therapy and also an earlier discharge of the patient.

[Anesthesia and postoperative recovery for parathyroid gland surgery].

Anesthesia for surgery of primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) usually concerns asymptomatic elderly women with moderate hypercalcemia. Cardiovascular repercussions of the endocrine disorder are possible, but they are not frequent except for hypertension. Hyperparathyroid crisis is a life-threatening condition with severe hypercalcemia. Intravenous diphosphonates are very effective drugs to control hypercalcemia. The improvement is transient but allows curative parathyroidectomy to be performed with a minimal risk of cardiac arrhythmias. Anesthesia for surgery of secondary HPT concerns patients with chronic renal failure treated by hemodialysis. Cardiovascular disease is frequent and aggravated by the endocrine disorder. In patients with marked aortic stenosis or severe left ventricular dysfunction, parathyroidectomy should be performed by cervicotomy under local anesthesia. Hyperparathyroidism may persist after renal transplantation (tertiary HPT): in this case cardiovascular disease is minimal and the hypercalcemia is moderate. Parathyroidectomy is usually performed by cervicotomy under general anesthesia. Sternotomy is required in the case of an abnormal mediastinal location of a gland. An interaction between myorelaxants and hyperparathyroidism has been observed. Total blood calcium must be systematically assayed postoperatively because postoperative hypocalcemia is constant. Hypocalcemia is moderate in primary and tertiary HPT, due to transient functional hypoparathyroidism, with lowest observed the 2nd or 3rd postoperative day. Hypocalcemia should not be treated when asymptomatic because it resolutes on the 4th or 5th postoperative day. Intravenous calcium infusion may be necessary for 1 or 2 days, if serum calcium is below 1.9 mmol per liter with symptoms of tetany. Persistent hypocalcemia is due to an hungry bone syndrome or organic hypoparathyroidism that should be treated by oral vitamin D and calcium. In secondary HPT, hypocalcemia is early, marked and asymptomatic. Treatment must often be started on the 6th postoperative hour by intravenous calcium infusion, followed by oral vitamin D and calcium. The absence of postoperative hypocalcemia indicate incomplete removal of all abnormal parathyroid tissue. At the third postoperative day, a second cervicotomy may be performed to complete the neck exploration.

Primary hyperparathyroidism: diagnosis and management in the older individual.

As more and more cases of primary hyperparathyroidism are being detected by screening for serum calcium concentration, the majority of patients are older individuals who are asymptomatic or have symptoms which are difficult to ascribe to hyperparathyroidism. Long-term follow-up has provided evidence that most asymptomatic patients who do not undergo parathyroidectomy will not develop symptomatic complications. Some asymptomatic patients, however, have progression of disease over time. These observations and the lack of reliable predictors of the rate of progression in most patients reinforce the need for careful monitoring in elderly individuals who do not undergo surgery. Biannual measurements of serum calcium concentrations and annual measurements of urinary calcium excretion and bone mineral density should be performed in all patients who are managed conservatively. In elderly patients with symptomatic or complicated primary hyperparathyroidism, parathyroidectomy results in biochemical cure and increased bone density, both at the lumbar spine and the femoral neck, and should be considered. Criteria for surgery include significant hypercalcemia (>1 mg/dl above the upper limit of normal), marked hypercalciuria (>400 mg per day), low bone density, unexplained renal insufficiency and an episode of acute primary hyperparathyroidism. Consideration of parathyroidectomy should also be given to elderly patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who are vitamin D deficient. Radionuclide scanning has become the initial non-invasive study of choice when parathyroid gland localization is necessary before parathyroidectomy; this is generally for fragile patients and reoperative cases. In a subset of older individuals, surgery may not be an option because of coexisting medical problems even though surgical indications are present.

Hyperparathyroidism

Secondary Secondary hyperparathyroidism is due to physiological (i.e. appropriate) secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by the parathyroid glands in response to hypocalcemia (low blood calcium levels). The most common causes are vitamin D deficiency (caused by lack of sunlight, diet or malabsorption) and chronic kidney failure. Lack of vitamin D leads to reduced calcium absorption by the intestine leading to hypocalcemia and increased parathyroid hormone secretion. This increases bone resorption. In chronic kidney failure the problem is more specifically failure to convert vitamin D to its active form in the kidney. The bone disease in secondary hyperparathyroidism caused by kidney failure is termed renal osteodystrophy.

[Unicentre Results in Surgery of Primary Hyperparathyroidism with Postoperative Long-Term Follow-Up and Value of Intraoperative Quick Parathormone Test].

The increasing use of focussed parathyroidectomy is attributed to introduction of intraoperative parathyroid hormone measurement (ioPTH) and novel preoperative imaging techniques. This study assesses the early postoperative and long-term outcomes of surgery and the value of standardised ioPTH in patients undergoing surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT). From 01/01/1996 to 09/30/2011, all consecutive patients undergoing surgery for pHPT were documented. Data of this observational study were retrospectively evaluated. Patients were subdivided into 2 groups: A.) use of Quick Intraoperative Intact PTH Assay (n = 142; "ioPTH group") vs. B.) control group ("CG", n = 44). For clinical long-term follow-up, also pre- and postoperative signs, symptoms and findings of the initial 43 patients obtained during the first 4 years of the study were semiquantitatively compared. 186 consecutive operations for pHPT were performed - in particular, 73 sole parathyroidectomies; 113 combined thyroid and parathyroid resections. Mean operation time was 87 (SD ± 48) min for parathyroidectomy and 120 (SD ± 49) min for combined resections. A persisting hypercalcaemia was found in 16 patients (8.6%) while postoperative elevation of serum calcium and parathormone occurred in 7 patients (3.8%). Postoperative hypocalcaemia was present in 35 patients (18.8%). Differences between both groups regarding hypocalcaemia (p = 1.0), hypercalcaemia (p = 0.67), hyperparathyrinaemia (p = 0.12) and rate of reintervention (p = 0.055) were not significant. Thirty nine of the initial 43 patients reported one or more signs of pHPT (90.7%). Most frequent symptoms were nephrolithiasis (41.9%), back pain (51.2%), discomfort in the upper abdomen (41.9%), fatigue (41.9%) and general weakness (61.1%). Follow-up investigations (mean, 4.7 [range, 3.2-6.5] years) revealed that 65 % of patients reported improvement of general condition, 27% had no change and 8% reported deterioration. IoPTH is now standard in parathyroid surgery. Value of ioPTH correlates directly with selected centre-specific intraoperative criteria. The stricter the criteria the more reliable is the exclusion of multiglandular disease. Surgery for pHPT was performed with a very low complication rate. Through the long-term follow-up, nearly two thirds of patients benefited from the operation.

Disorders of calcium metabolism

Hypocalcemia is common and can occur unnoticed with no symptoms or, in severe cases, can have dramatic symptoms and be life-threatening. Hypocalcemia can be parathyroid related or vitamin D related. Parathyroid related hypocalcemia includes post-surgical hypoparathyroidism, inherited hypoparathyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, and pseudo-pseudohypoparathyroidism. Post-surgical hypoparathyroidism is the most common form, and can be temporary (due to suppression of tissue after removal of a malfunctioning gland) or permanent, if all parathyroid tissue has been removed. Inherited hypoparathyroidism is rare and is due to a mutation in the calcium sensing receptor. Pseudohypoparathyroidism is maternally inherited and is categorized by hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia. Finally, pseudo-pseudohypoparathyroidism is paternally inherited. Patients display normal parathyroid hormone action in the kidney, but exhibit altered parathyroid hormone action in the bone.

Hypocalcemia due to spontaneous infarction of parathyroid adenoma and osteomalacia in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism.

A 49 year-old Japanese woman had subjected enlargement of a cervical tumor, and also suffered two bone fractures in 2 years. The cervical tumor had enlarged further in the month prior to admission, becoming warm and tender. Endocrinological examination revealed that the serum intact PTH concentration was remarkably high at 400 pg/mL despite the low serum calcium concentration, and that the serum vitamin Ds concentration was decreased. Bone roentgenograms revealed severe osteolytic changes compatible with osteitis fibrosa cystica and a pathologic fracture of the humerus. Under a diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism, parathyroidectomy was performed, followed by fixation surgery for the pathologic fracture. Histologically, the cervical tumor was a parathyroid chief-cell adenoma with massive necrosis, and the bone pathology by iliac bone biopsy revealed the existence of osteomalacia. She was treated with calcium, vitamins D and K2 and calcitonin after the surgery. This case is a rare condition manifesting hypocalcemia with catastrophic osteoporosis under the coexistence of spontaneous infarction of parathyroid adenoma with osteomalacia, suggesting that the clinical features of hyperparathyroidism are modified by both the autoparathyroidiectomy and the existence of osteomalacia due to vitamin D deficiency.

[Renal osteodystrophy (3); its treatment in dialysis patients].

The prevalence and the clinical gravity of the various histopathological varieties of renal osteodystrophy in dialysis patients depends on the severity of both the aluminium intoxication and that of hyperparathyroidism. The prevalence of bone pains, fractures and hypercalcemias are the highest in adynamic bone diseases (ABD) with severe aluminium intoxication, then in osteitis fibrosa and mixed osteopathy, in the ABD with moderate aluminium intoxication and rare in the mild lesion in spite of similar moderate aluminium intoxication. In the absence of aluminium intoxication, hypercalcemia and hyperphosphatemia prevalence is higher only when intact PTH is more that 4 times the upper limit of normal. When PTH is between 1 and 2 folds the ULN this prevalence is null and bone mineral density is the highest. 2. The low turnover aluminic bone diseases (osteomalacic or adynamic) will be cured by long term deferoxamine treatment. The hazards of such treatment justify the performance of a bone biopsy to ensure the diagnosis. Their prevention relies on adequate treatment of tapwater and definitive exclusion of long term administration of aluminum phosphate binders. 3. Non aluminic osteomalacia will be treated according to the same guidelines given for the uremic patients before dialysis. 4. Non aluminic adynamic bone disease will be cured by means aiming at stimulating PTH secretion as discontinuing 1 alpha hydroxylated vitamin D derivatives, and, if there is no hyperphosphatemia by discontinuation of calcium supplement. In case of hyperphosphatemia in dialysis patients CaCO3 doses have to be nevertheless increased after the dialysate calcium concentration (DCa) has been decreased in order to induce a negative perdialytic calcium balance for PTH secretion stimulation. In the near future substitution of CaCO3 by non calcemic non aluminic phosphate binders will suffice. 5. Osteitis fibrosa due to hyperparathyroidism will be treated first by securing an optimal vitamin D repletion (bringing plasma 25OH vitamin D around 30 and 60 ng/ml or 75-150 nmol/l) and by correcting hypocalcemia and hyperphosphatemia by CaCO3 at high doses (3-12 g/day) taken with the meals. In case of hypercalcemia dialysate calcium concentration will be decreased to correct it or, in a near future, CaCO3 will be decreased to 3 g/day and hyperphosphatemia will be controlled by non calcemic, non aluminic phosphate binders. When hyperphosphatemia is controlled whereas plasma calcium is normal or low, 1 alpha hydroxylated vitamin D derivatives can be administered. 6. Instrumental parathyroidectomy should be considered when plasma levels of intact PTH remain above 7 folds the upper limit of normal whereas hyperphosphatemia persists and hypercalcemia occurs in order to prevent thining of the corticals and subsequent fracture risk. In case of previous exposition to aluminum, a deferoxamine test and/or a bone biopsy will be performed to decide a long term DFO treatment before the parathyroidectomy in order to prevent the transformation of a mixed osteopathy into an aluminic adynamic bone disease. 7. The difficulty of hyperparathyroidism control in dialysis patients is due to poor compliance to phosphate binders and to irreversible parathyroid hyperplasia with occured before the dialysis stage. This stress the primary importance if its early prevention without iatrogenia by first CaCO3 and vitamin D repletion, as soon as the creatinine clearance decreases below 60 ml/min/1.73 m2.

Postoperative course of serum parathyroid hormone and calcium after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism.

The aim of this study was to describe the course of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and serum calcium after surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism, and to evaluate the usefulness of daily measurement of these parameters. PTH and serum calcium were daily monitored during the early postoperative period in 45 patients where a parathyroid adenoma was removed. PTH showed a sharp drop to a very low level already on the first postoperative day, whereafter a rapid recovery began. Serum calcium decreased more slowly: on the average, the lowest calcium level was seen on the second day. A majority of the patients were temporarily hypocalcemic, apparently to various degrees. After two weeks 38 patients showed a normal calcemia, while six patients remained slightly hypocalcemic. It is concluded that after removal of a parathyroid adenoma an abrupt fall of PTH precedes the decrease of serum calcium. The first day's PTH level is a reliable indicator of the success of the intervention and it should be a major point in the postoperative biochemical follow-up. Repeated measurements of serum calcium are useful, in contrast with the daily dosage of PTH which can be omitted for economical reasons.