Severe primary hyperparathyroidism in a neonate having a parent with hypercalcemia: treatment by total parathyroidectomy and simultaneous heterotopic autotransplantation.

Abstract

Neonatal primary hyperparathyroidism is a life-threatening disease because of marked hypercalcemia and severe respiratory distress caused by the hypoplastic thorax and occasional rib fractures. We report a 29-day-old girl treated by total parathyroidectomy and simultaneous autotransplantation of parathyroid tissue (one fifth of each of the two glands) in the femoral quadriceps muscle near the groin. At the time of operation, all four of the parathyroid glands were markedly enlarged, and their total weight was 900 mg. Part of the resected parathyroid tissue was cryopreserved for further autotransplantation should hypoparathyroidism develop. Two years six months after surgery, the infant was well and had normal levels of serum calcium and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone in the absence of any supplementary treatment. Asymptomatic hypercalcemia in the presence of abnormally low fractional excretion of calcium was found in the father. Based on our experience and review of the literature, we recommend total parathyroidectomy, autotransplantation, and cryopreservation for the neonate with primary hyperparathyroidism.