Hypomagnesemia. Suppression of secondary hyperparathyroidism in chronic renal failure

P. D. Miller, R. A. Krebs, B. J. Neal and D. O. McIntyre

Chronic renal failure is accompanied by secondary hyperparathyroidism. Inhibition of parathyroid hormone secretion has been reported to be induced by hypomagnesemia in conditions other than chronic renal failure, since severe hypomagnesemia is rare in chronic renal failure. In the case reported here, the patient had chronic renal failure and malabsorption-induced hypomagnesemia; she exhibited hypoparathyroidism while hypomagnesemic, and hyperparathyroidism after magnesium was replaced. Hypomagnesemia induced parathyroid hormone suppression in this patient with chronic renal failure, despite the presence of chronic hyperfunctioning parathyroid cells.