Persistent post-transplant autonomous hyperparathyroidism despite 23 years of excellent renal allograft function

Hyperparathyroidism is a common problem for patients on renal replacement therapy programs. Many long-term dialysis patients require parathyroidectomy while on dialysis. Some patients, however, despite severe renal osteodystrophy, are transplanted, and in these a large proportion show a slow resolution of bony problems, in the context of the removal of the uremic stimulus to abnormal bone metabolism. A proportion of these patients become hypercalcaemic after renal transplantation, sometimes with symptoms. There is not a consensus on how these patients should be managed, with opinions varying from early parathyroidectomy to later parathyroidectomy and to conservative treatment. We present the case of a lady who underwent 23 years of conservative management of her post-transplant hyperparathyroidism. She was hypercalcaemic for almost all of that period, despite excellent renal transplant function. Finally, after 23 years she underwent surgical parathyroidectomy with autografting with prompt sustained resolution of her symptomatic hypercalcaemia. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG, Basel.