Parathyroid problems

[mancmo]

A friend of mine has been diagnosed as having a parathyroid in the right hand side of her neck. This has nothing to do with her thyroid, a parathyroid controls the calcium level in her body.

she has just found out that another parathyroid glad is enlarged and will have to investigate when they remove the first one (end of november) .

she is really worried about this as its not as common as a thyroid. dont think her surgeon knows much about it!

does anyone know much more of this parathyroid just so I can hopefully reassure her ?

thanks xx

[Sqad]

What do you want to know?

You have 4 parathyroid glands which are situated at the 4 poles of the thyroid gland.

Google ...hyperparathyroidism.

The commonest problem is a tumour, benign which produces excess of the hormone regulating the calcium metabolism.
These tumours are usually single, but may involve the other 3 parathyroid. gland. You surgeon will need an MRI scan to determine the site and number of tumours.

Surgery is very successful for someone who knows what he is doing and I am sure that your friend's surgeon would not embark upon a procedure, unless he was competent.

[mancmo]

thanks squad, its just worrying to know that they have found another enlarged gland just weeks after doing the mri scan. thanks anyway. x