Remarkable increase in lumbar spine bone mineral density and amelioration in biochemical markers of bone turnover after parathyroidectomy in elderly patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: a 5-year follow-up study

We evaluated the efficacy of parathyroidectomy (PTX) on bone mineral density (BMD) and hormonal and biochemical markers of bone metabolism in elderly primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients, and followed these patients for 5 years after PTX. Eleven PHPT patients were enrolled and were followed for 5 years by measuring lumbar spine BMD (LSBMD), femoral BMD (FBMD), radial BMD (RBMD), parathyroid hormone (PTH), 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)₂D], serum calcium (SCa), inorganic phosphate (iP), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), intact osteocalcin (IOC), urinary excretion of type I collagen cross-linked N-telopeptide (NTx), and urinary deoxypyridinoline (DPD). PTX produced significant increases in LSBMD of 12%, 19%, and 29% as compared with pretreatment levels after 1, 3, and 5 years, respectively (P < 0.01, compared to baseline), whereas there was no significant increase in FBMD and a slight decrease in RBMD. SCa and iP levels remained normal over the five years. PTX also resulted in significant decreases in PTH, 1,25(OH)₂D, BAP, IOC, NTx, and DPD that continued for at least 3 years after PTX. In conclusion, PTX seemed effective to normalize various markers of bone metabolism in elderly PHPT patients and is recommended to patients with low LSBMD to prevent future fractures. On the other hand, the use of PTX for low FBMD or RBMD patients requires further discussion.