 |
|
The Differential Diagnosis of HypercalcemiaAn Algorithm for More Effective Use of Laboratory Tests
Edward T. Wong, MD;
Esther F. Freier, MS
JAMA. 1982;247(1):75-80.
|
|
| Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text PDF and any section headings. |
|
|
|
THE PROCESS of diagnosing primary hyperparathyroidism has been one of exclusion of the other causes of hypercalcemia. In the past decade, since the measurement of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by radioimmunoassay became available through commercial laboratories, its use has grown rapidly. Theoretically, PTH levels should be elevated in primary hyperparathyroidism and possibly in malignancies producing PTH ectopically (pseudohyperparathyroidism); in the other causes of hypercalcemia, the levels should be decreased.1,2 The number of PTH assays ordered at this hospital has reached 350 per year, whereas during the period of 1970 to 1978 the number of new cases of primary hyperparathyroidism was less than ten per year. This suggested that many physicians were ordering PTH measurements early, if not even first, in the evaluation of hypercalcemia, the expectation being that PTH determinations would separate primary hyperparathyroidism from the other causes of hypercalcemia. Before direct measurements of PTH became available, laboratory tests reflecting a
. . . [Full Text PDF of this Article]
Author Affiliations
From the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, the University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis. Dr Wong is presently with the Department of Pathology, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center and the University of Southern California School of Medicine, Los Angeles.
Footnotes
Reprint requests to Room 2175, General Hospital, Los Angeles County-University of Southern California Medical Center, 1200 N State St, Los Angeles, CA 90033 (Dr Wong).
 CiteULike  Connotea  Del.icio.us  Digg  Reddit  Technorati  Twitter
What's this?
|
