Parathyroid glands are the smallest organs of the human body, located in the front part of the neck, on both sides of the thyroid (goiter) gland. They are about the size of a large grain of rice and there are usually four of them.
Parathyroid glands are the only organ that ensures that the calcium level in the blood remains within normal limits. If the parathyroid glands do not function (hypoparathyroidism), the amount of calcium in the blood decreases; if the glands function excessively (hyperparathyroidism), the amount of calcium in the blood increases. Both conditions cause serious complaints and dysfunction in many organs, especially the heart, kidneys and vessels.
Parathyroid Tumors
A Mass-forming formations arising from tissue are called tumors. There are two types of tumors: benign and malignant. While tumors can sometimes be too small to be seen with the naked eye, sometimes they can be large enough to push the surrounding organs and protrude from their location.
Parathyroid tumors usually do not exceed a few centimeters in size and are often not visible to the naked eye as they are trapped between the muscles in the neck area. They are rarely detected even during manual examination.
Benign Parathyroid Tumors
Another name for benign parathyroid tumors is adenoma. Fortunately, 95% of parathyroid tumors are benign. So it's not cancer. As the name suggests, these are tumors that do not spread to surrounding tissues, never come out of their capsule, and do not spread to other parts of the body through blood or lymph vessels.
Malignant Parathyroid Tumors, Parathyroid Cancer
Another name for malignant parathyroid tumors is parathyroid cancer. They are quite rare. When a mass is detected in the parathyroid, the probability that it is malignant does not exceed 5%. The difference between malignant parathyroid tumors and malignant tumors of other organs is that the patient's life is not threatened by the tumor itself, but by the high calcium levels that develop due to the tumor. Indeed, in malignant tumors, calcium levels in the blood become very high and this can cause contraction disorders in the heart muscle, leading to sudden cardiac arrest.
What is Parathyroid Hyperplasia?
In parathyroid tumors, whether benign or malignant, the disease often affects a single parathyroid gland. The other three glands are healthy. In hyperplasia, the disease affects all four glands. This situation has a plus and a minus:
The plus of parathyroid hyperplasia is that although it looks like a tumor, it is not actually a tumor. Only the number of cells in the gland has increased. The disadvantages of parathyroid hyperplasia are; Since the disease is not in one gland, but in all parathyroid glands, the surgeon has to find all the glands during the surgery (which is a difficult task) and three of them must be removed.
With Kidney Diseases Is it related to Parathyroid Hyperplasia?
Yes, it is, and very seriously! Chronic renal failure is the most common cause of parathyroid hyperplasia. These patients frequently undergo dialysis, and the longer the duration of dialysis, the more likely the patient's parathyroid glands will undergo hyperplasia. The reason for this is not clear, but of course, the main factor is the impairment of the kidney's natural function, which can be summarized as retaining calcium and removing phosphorus from the body.
What is Parathyroid Hyperplasia Surgery and How is it Performed?
A 3-4cm long incision is made on the front of the neck. The surgeon's job is more difficult than adenoma surgery. Because in adenoma surgery, only one gland is affected and it is enough for the surgeon to find and remove it. In hyperplasia, the surgeon must find all four glands.
What is Parathyroid Adenoma Surgery and How is it Done?
Parathyroid Adenoma Surgery Adenoma is a benign tumor of the parathyroid gland. If the location of the adenoma is determined in the preoperative radiological tests (ultrasound, scintigraphy, etc.), the job of both the surgeon and the patient is easy. A 3-4 cm long incision is made in the front of the neck and the adenoma in the area detected before surgery is easily found and removed.
How Does High Blood Calcium Cause Complaints?
High blood calcium is a very insidious disease. No symptoms for months or even years in young patients does not give any findings. Moreover, the findings are quite vague; weakness, fatigue, pain throughout the body, especially in the arms and legs. Since these are complaints that can be seen in many diseases, on the one hand, these patients cannot be diagnosed, and on the other hand, no one believes them; They are thought to be hypochondriacs! Perhaps the most concrete finding in these patients is that they pass kidney stones or sand. However, this is not seen in every patient.
What is the Harm of High Calcium in the Blood?
The main function of calcium in the human body is muscle contraction. In order for muscles to contract, calcium must enter the cells. If there is too much calcium in the blood, too much calcium passes into the cells and the muscles contract constantly. This causes muscle pain. On the other hand, the kidney tries to remove excess calcium from the blood. While this situation, on the one hand, tires the kidney and causes damage, on the other hand, it paves the way for calcium to accumulate in the kidney and form stones or sand. However, the real risk is for the heart. It should not be forgotten that the heart is a pump and this pump works by contracting and relaxing the heart muscle. Excessive calcium inflow into the heart muscle causes the heart to make more frequent and uncontrolled contractions, just like other muscles, which causes heart failure and heart rhythm disturbance. Both of these are life-threatening conditions.
How Does Low Calcium in the Blood Cause Complaints?
In the Blood When calcium is insufficient, muscles cannot contract and contract. This condition is felt most clearly in the fingertips and lips. Numbness and tingling occur in these parts of the body. Additionally, there is a serious loss of strength in the body. Patients typically express this situation as "I cannot lift my arm."
The most common cause of low blood calcium is thyroid surgery; It occurs as a result of accidental removal or damage to the parathyroid glands in thyroid surgeries.
Unlike high calcium, low blood calcium causes symptoms immediately, without waiting.
What is Autoimmune Hypoparathyroidism (Hypocalcemia)? ?
It is a rare congenital disease. 1% of all low calcium cases creates. As a result of a genetic disease, these people either do not have parathyroid glands, or the receptors of these glands do not work effectively. The disease often begins to manifest itself in adolescence, with typical complaints of low calcium, and the complaints increase over the years.
What is the Harm of Low Calcium in the Blood?
As explained before, calcium needs to enter the cell for muscles to contract. If there is not enough calcium in the blood to enter the cells, the muscles cannot contract sufficiently. This situation will, of course, have its most serious effect on the heart muscle. If the heart muscle cannot find enough calcium to contract, contractions decrease and slow down. This is a serious problem that can lead to sudden cardiac arrest.
What Should Be Considered After Parathyroid Surgeries?
All types of parathyroidism After surgery (malignant tumor, adenoma, hyperplasia), there may be some complaints of low calcium (numbness and tingling in the hands and lips). The level of these complaints varies depending on the level of calcium in the blood before surgery and its duration. However, often all complaints decrease and disappear within a few days.
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