10/24/2025
This week’s case involves a 72-year-old woman who was misdiagnosed and mistreated for five years before finding her cure.
She was originally told her elevated parathyroid hormone was caused by vitamin D deficiency—even though her calcium levels were high. Over those years, she developed worsening bone pain, fatigue, brain fog, declining kidney function, and bone loss—all classic signs of untreated primary hyperparathyroidism.
When she came to see us, we reviewed her labs and imaging and discussed how her parathyroid disease was damaging her body. I recommended surgery to remove the source of the problem and restore her health.
On the day of surgery, her scan suggested a left lower parathyroid adenoma. But when we explored, we discovered something far more interesting: her left upper gland was the true culprit, and the lesion seen on scan was actually a fifth parathyroid gland—a rare finding! The left upper gland was the one causing her disease.
This case highlights several important lessons:
1️⃣ Misdiagnosis delays cure. Her doctors focused on vitamin D deficiency instead of recognizing it was a result of parathyroid disease.
2️⃣ Scans can mislead. The scan pointed to the wrong gland—it was abnormal but not the main problem.
3️⃣ Four-gland exploration is essential. If we had only removed the gland seen on the scan, she would not have been cured. Our comprehensive approach allowed us to identify and remove the true source—and even discover her extra gland.
At the Norman Parathyroid Center, parathyroid surgery is all we do. Our experience with thousands of patients allows us to see through misleading scans and complex cases like this one.
Don’t settle for partial answers or incomplete surgery.
✅ Trust the experts. Get cured.
Become our patient: https://www.parathyroid.com/patient
