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Parathyroid Disorders
Summary
Most people have four pea-sized glands, called parathyroid glands, on the thyroid gland in the neck. Though their names are similar, the thyroid and parathyroid glands are completely different. The parathyroid glands make parathyroid hormone (PTH), which helps your body keep the right balance of calcium and phosphorous.
If your parathyroid glands make too much or too little hormone, it disrupts this balance. If they secrete extra PTH, you have hyperparathyroidism, and your blood calcium rises. In many cases, a benign tumor on a parathyroid gland makes it overactive. Or, the extra hormones can come from enlarged parathyroid glands. Very rarely, the cause is cancer.
If you do not have enough PTH, you have hypoparathyroidism. Your blood will have too little calcium and too much phosphorous. Causes include injury to the glands, endocrine disorders, or genetic conditions. Treatment is aimed at restoring the balance of calcium and phosphorous.
NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Start Here
- About Hypoparathyroidism Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- General Information about Parathyroid Cancer National Cancer Institute
- Primary Hyperparathyroidism National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Patient Handouts
- Calcium – ionized Medical Encyclopedia
- Calcium – urine Medical Encyclopedia
- Calcium blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Hypercalcemia – discharge Medical Encyclopedia
- Hyperparathyroidism Medical Encyclopedia
- Hypoparathyroidism Medical Encyclopedia
- Parathyroid adenoma Medical Encyclopedia
- Parathyroid cancer Medical Encyclopedia
- Parathyroid gland removal Medical Encyclopedia
- Parathyroid hormone (PTH) blood test Medical Encyclopedia
Diagnosis and Tests
- Calcium Blood Test National Library of Medicine
- Calcium in Urine Test National Library of Medicine
- How Do Health Care Providers Diagnose Hypoparathyroidism? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Parathyroid Hormone (PTH) Test National Library of Medicine
- Phosphate in Blood National Library of Medicine
- Stages of Parathyroid Cancer National Cancer Institute
- Vitamin D Test National Library of Medicine
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hyperparathyroidism National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Hypoparathyroidism National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia National Institutes of Health
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Parathyroid Diseases National Institutes of Health
Reference Desk
- Endocrine System (For Parents) Nemours Foundation
Genetics
- Familial isolated hyperparathyroidism: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
- Learning about Velocardiofacial Syndrome National Human Genome Research Institute
- Parathyroid cancer: MedlinePlus Genetics National Library of Medicine
Find an Expert
- Find an Endocrinologist Endocrine Society
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
Treatments and Therapies
- How Is Hypoparathyroidism Treated? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Parathyroidectomy – series — Normal anatomy Medical Encyclopedia
- Treatment Option Overview (Parathyroid Cancer) National Cancer Institute
Related Issues
- Hypercalcemia Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
- Mineral and Bone Disorder in Chronic Kidney Disease National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Other Common Diseases and Conditions American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
Encyclopedia
- Hypercalcemia Medical Encyclopedia
- Osteitis fibrosa Medical Encyclopedia
- Parathyroid hormone-related protein blood test Medical Encyclopedia
- Parathyroid hyperplasia Medical Encyclopedia
- Phosphorus blood test Medical Encyclopedia
Specifics
- Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type I National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- Primary Hyperparathyroidism Endocrine Society