Definition

1. Noun:
   • A medical condition involving excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone: Hyperparathyroidism is a disorder characterized by the overactivity of the parathyroid glands, leading to the production of too much parathyroid hormone (PTH).
   • A cause of abnormally high blood calcium levels: This condition results in hypercalcemia, which is an elevated level of calcium in the blood.
   • A disorder affecting multiple body systems: The excess calcium can impact various organs and systems, notably causing bone weakening through resorption and contributing to osteoporosis.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The patient was diagnosed with primary hyperparathyroidism after routine blood tests revealed high calcium levels.
  • Symptoms of hyperparathyroidism can include fatigue, kidney stones, and bone pain.
  • Treatment for hyperparathyroidism may involve surgical removal of the overactive gland.

Advanced Usage

• "Primary hyperparathyroidism": The most common form, where one or more parathyroid glands are enlarged and overproduce hormone independently, often due to a benign tumor (adenoma).
  • Primary hyperparathyroidism is frequently discovered incidentally during blood work for other reasons.
• "Secondary hyperparathyroidism": A condition where the parathyroid glands become overactive in response to low blood calcium levels, often due to kidney failure or severe vitamin D deficiency.
  • Secondary hyperparathyroidism is a common complication of chronic kidney disease.
• "Tertiary hyperparathyroidism": A state of autonomous parathyroid hormone overproduction that can develop after long-standing secondary hyperparathyroidism, even if the original trigger is corrected.
  • After a kidney transplant, some patients develop tertiary hyperparathyroidism.

Variants and Related Words

• Hyperparathyroid (adj): Pertaining to or affected by hyperparathyroidism.
  • The patient had hyperparathyroid bone disease.
• Parathyroidectomy (n): The surgical removal of one or more parathyroid glands, a common treatment for hyperparathyroidism.
  • The surgeon performed a parathyroidectomy to treat the hyperparathyroidism.

Synonyms

• Parathyroid overactivity: A descriptive synonym for the condition.
• PTH excess: A biochemical term referring to the elevated hormone level central to the disorder.

Related Phrases

• "Hypercalcemia of hyperparathyroidism": A phrase specifying the high blood calcium resulting from this condition.
  • The hypercalcemia of hyperparathyroidism requires careful management.
• "Bone resorption in hyperparathyroidism": A phrase describing a key pathological effect of the disease.
  • The X-ray showed significant bone resorption in hyperparathyroidism.

Noun

1. excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone resulting in abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood; can affect many systems of the body (especially causing bone resorption and osteoporosis)