Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare disease, with about 535 cases reported in the literature until now. In this paper, we reviewed 5 cases of parathyroid carcinoma followed at Universidade Federal de São Paulo from 1983 to 1998, and discuss aspects of clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment. Four patients were female and 1 male, with median ages of 52 years (10 to 77 years). Initial clinical complains were bone pain and weight loss in 4 patients, traumatic fracture in 2, and fracture without trauma in 3. Kidney stone was present in 1 patient. All had a palpable mass in the cervical region and presented with high calcium levels: 14.9±1.7mg/dL (mean±SD). Parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were extremely high, showing the severity of the disease. All patients had surgical exploration where a tumor mass was recognized and removed. Pathologic examination demonstrated parathyroid carcinoma in all. On follow-up, 2 patients had recurrence and died due to complications of hyperparathyroidism. To date, the other 3 patients have no evidences of recurrence.
Parathyroid carcinoma; Primary hiperparathyroidism; Hypercalcemia; PTH
