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Mr. Tung, 38 years old, has been urinating 15 times a day for the past year but his kidneys are normal. The doctor diagnosed him with parathyroid gland tumor.
On August 23, Master, Doctor Huynh Ba Tan, Department of Breast - Head and Neck Surgery, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City, said that the patient's blood calcium concentration increased by 4 mmol/L, twice the normal level, suspected to be due to hyperparathyroidism. Neck ultrasound and parathyroid hormone (PTH) test recorded a 2 cm tumor in the lower left parathyroid gland. Normally, the parathyroid gland is only as small as a corn kernel. The PTH hormone level increased by 185 pg/ml, while in a healthy person it is about 16-65 pg/ml.
Parathyroid adenoma is a condition in which a tumor appears on one or four parathyroid glands. The four parathyroid glands are located behind the two lobes of the thyroid gland and are oval in shape. This gland releases the hormone PTH, which controls the concentration of calcium ions and phosphate ions in the blood plasma. Under the action of the hormone PTH, the concentration of calcium ions increases and the concentration of phosphate ions decreases. When PTH in the blood is high, the body increases the activity of taking calcium from the bones, which over time leads to osteoporosis and bone fractures. Symptoms of hyperparathyroidism include bone pain, fatigue, frequent urination, etc.
Parathyroid tumors are rare and can occur in people aged 50-70, more often in women than men. Dr. Tan said this is the first time the Department of Breast - Head and Neck Surgery, Tam Anh General Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City has received and treated a patient with this condition. If not operated on promptly, Mr. Tung is at risk of osteoporosis, kidney stones, nephritis, kidney failure, arrhythmia, and coma. The patient needs surgery to remove the parathyroid gland with the tumor.
Dr. Tan cut the left middle thyroid vein, flipped the lower pole of the left lobe forward, and used an ultrasound knife to cut the entire left lower parathyroid gland. One week after surgery, blood test results showed that Mr. Tung's blood calcium and PTH hormone levels were normal. The pain throughout his body also improved, he slept well, and no longer had to urinate frequently or at night.
Dr. Tan said that 85% of tumors appear in one parathyroid gland, 4-5% of tumors occur in two parathyroid glands, and 10-12% of tumors appear in four parathyroid glands. This type of tumor causes the parathyroid gland to overproduce the amount of PTH hormone that the body needs.
Currently, the cause of parathyroid tumors is unknown. Some risk factors include genetics, exposure to radiation in the head and neck area, and a diet lacking in calcium... Most patients with parathyroid tumors do not have any unusual symptoms. The disease is often discovered by chance during a health check-up, when blood tests show increased calcium.
The disease only shows symptoms when blood calcium levels are too high for a long time. At this point, even with treatment for parathyroid adenoma, damaged organs such as kidneys and bones cannot be restored. Dr. Tan recommends that everyone have regular health check-ups to detect abnormalities (if any) and handle them promptly.
*Patient's name has been changed
HQ (according to VnExpress)