Hyperparathyroidism Flashcards
High level of parathyroid hormone
Hyperparathyroidism
Name the 3 types of hyperparathyroidism?
- Primary
- Secondary
- Tertiary
how parathyroid glands are there?
- 4
What cells in the parathyroid gland produce PTH in response to low blood calcium?
- Chief cells
What does the PTH do to blood calcium levels?
- Acts to raise blood calcium levels
How does PTH increase blood calcium levels?
- By increasing calcium absorption from the intestines and increasing the reabsorption of calcium from in kidneys and increasing osteoclast activity from the bones
What does Vitamin D do?
- Vitamin D acts on all the processes to increase calcium absorption from: the intestines, kidneys and bones.
How does the PTH hormone act on Vitamin D?
- PTH acts on Vitamin D to convert it into active forms, so vitamin D and PTH act together to raise blood calcium levels.
Uncontrolled PTH being produced by a tumor of the parathyroid gland, that leads to hypercalcemia?
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
How is a parathyroid tumor treated?
- By surgical removal
Insufficient Vitamin D or CKD leads to low absorption of calcium from the intestines, kidneys and bones, this causes hypocalcemia? Which causes the parathyroid gland to secrete more PTH
- Secondary hyperparathyroidism,
In secondary hyperparathyroidism is the serum calcium low or high?
- Low or normal, but the PTH hormone will be high
How is secondary hyperparathyroidism treated?
- Vitamin D replacement
2. Renal transplant
When secondary hyperparathyroidism continues for a long period of time, it leads to hyperplasia of the glands, which increases the baseline level of PTH. When the cause is treated the PTH remains high due to the high level in the absence of a pathology leads to high absorption of Calcium from the intestines, kidneys and bones which causes hypercalcemia.
- Tertiary hyperparathyroidism
