parathyroid

Parathyroid

Parathyroid glands are a total of four endocrine glands, two on top and two at the bottom, located just behind the thyroid gland. Their total weight is around 90-200 mg. Each parathyroid gland is approximately six millimeters long, three millimeters wide and two millimeters thick. The glands are dark brown and have the appearance of oil. Parathyroid glands can sometimes be found anywhere in the neck, from the base of the tongue to the chest cavity, other than their normal locations. What is the Function of the Parathyroid Gland? The parathyroid gland is responsible for secreting the hormone called 'parathormone', which maintains the balance between calcium and phosphorus minerals in the body. Too much or too little of these minerals in the body can cause bone, kidney, muscle and nerve disorders. For this reason, the parathyroid gland has a very important role in the body's ability to carry out its basic activities.

To list the functions of this secreted hormone:

It regulates the calcium-phosphorus balance in the body fluid and blood, It ensures the absorption of calcium ions from the foods digested in the small intestines into the blood, Kidney It ensures the absorption of calcium ions back into the blood through the channels, allows calcium to pass from the bones to the blood, reduces the excretion of phosphorus from the kidneys and increases its amount in the blood.

How to Understand Whether the Parathyroid Gland is Working Well?

By measuring the calcium and phosphorus levels in the patient's blood and the hormone called 'parathormone', information is obtained about how the parathyroid gland works.

What are the Diseases of the Parathyroid Gland?

Hypoparathyroidism

This disease is seen in 2 forms:

Temporary hypoparathyroidism: It occurs as a result of damage to the parathyroid glands located in the upper and lower parts of the thyroid gland during surgery. Since the parathyroid gland determines the blood calcium level, the blood calcium level decreases as a result of injury. In treatment, the patient is given calcium intravenously or orally. This temporary condition resolves spontaneously in a few days, weeks or months.

Permanent hypoparathyroidism: It occurs as a result of insufficient release of parathormone and therefore calcium reabsorption from the kidneys decreases. The symptoms of the disease are as follows.

What are the complaints and symptoms in a hypoparathyroidism patient?·

• Numbness in the fingertips and around the mouth,
• Muscle cramps,
• Feeling of tightness in the throat and inability to breathe,
• Dry skin, hair loss and brittle nails,
• Seizures similar to patients having convulsions.

What tests are performed on patients with hypoparathyroidism?

In patients who apply to the hospital with the above complaints, the disease is suspected when the blood calcium level is found to be lower than normal. Diagnosis is made by finding low parathyroid hormone levels in subsequent examinations.

What are the treatment options in a hypoparathyroidism patient?

Treatment should be tailored according to the severity of low calcium. Although treatment generally begins with calcium administration, the form of calcium administered and the requirement for vitamin D may vary depending on the severity. Hyperparathyroidism Hyperparathyroidism is a condition in which the level of parathormone in the body is high. As a result of the increase in parathormone, the calcium level in the blood increases. As a result of excess parathormone and calcium, bone loss and weakening occur. The increased amount of calcium accumulates in the kidneys and causes the formation of sand and stones.

What are the conditions that cause hyperparathyroidism?

Hyperparathyroidism most commonly occurs when one or more of the parathyroid glands is abnormally abnormal. It occurs as a result of overwork. This is called 'parathyroid adenoma'. Apart from this, very rare parathyroid cancers can also cause hyperparathyroidism. In patients with dialysis-dependent renal failure, hyperparathyroidism may occur due to the deterioration of the calcium-phosphorus balance in the body.

What are the complaints and symptoms in a patient with hyperparathyroidism?

• Lack of appetite,
• Weakness, Weakness,
• Muscle weakness,
• Bone pain,
• Depression,
• High blood pressure,
• Stomach ulcer,
• Constipation,
• Headache,
• Abdominal pain, Memory loss,
• Nails weakness,
• Nausea, Vomiting,
• Frequent urination and shedding sand from the kidneys,
• Formation of stones in the kidneys.

In hyperparathyroidism patient What tests are performed?

The diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism is largely made by detecting high calcium levels in blood tests. Among patients admitted to hospitals, especially women over the age of 40, those with high blood pressure, and patients whose complaints of muscle weakness and fatigue cannot be attributed to a specific reason, should be examined in detail for 'hyperparathyroidism'. For this, firstly, the level of calcium in the blood is investigated. If the calcium level is high, blood parathormone levels are evaluated. In addition, there are some methods that help diagnose coma. These are ultrasound, parathyroid scintigraphy, bone densitometry and, when necessary, computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

What are the treatment options for a hyperparathyroidism patient?

In hyperparathyroidism, if the patient has the above complaints, as well as obvious bone disease and bone fractures, kidney stones and muscle disease, the treatment method is 'surgery'. A patient who has no complaints and whose hyperparathyroidism is detected incidentally may be monitored with calcium-lowering treatment. However, this treatment method only corrects the high calcium level, not the hyperparathyroidism condition.

Surgical Treatment in Parathyroid Diseases (Surgery)The aim of surgical treatment in hyperparathyroidism patients is the diseased parathyroid gland(s). ) is to be removed. For this, it should be known where the parathyroid glands are located and how many of them are diseased. This can be revealed with a good evaluation before surgery. In the treatment of parathyroid adenomas, that is, the parathyroid gland that has become more active than normal, the diseased parathyroid gland is removed. There are various techniques for this. These can be listed as unilateral surgery, bilateral surgery, surgery in which only the area of ​​surgery is anesthetized without general anesthesia, surgery performed through a small incision, and surgery performed with camera guidance. Ask your surgeon for information on this subject. Surgical treatment method can be preferred in the case of 'parathyroid hyperplasia', which develops especially in patients with kidney failure and causes overactivity of all four parathyroid glands. It is more than 1. All glands can be removed and half of a gland can be transplanted to your forearm, or all 3 of the 4 existing parathyroid glands and half of 1 can be removed. The treatment of parathyroid gland cancers is definitely surgical. In such a case, the cancerous gland is removed together with the adjacent thyroid gland and surrounding tissues. Preparing patients for surgery is hassle-free. The patient is usually sent home after the pre-operative preparations are made, and on the day of the surgery, he comes to the hospital from home and the surgery is performed that day. Although most patients are discharged on the same day or the day after their surgery, discharge may be delayed for postoperative blood calcium monitoring.

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