Bone and Soft-Tissue Disorders
- tetany = hypocalcemic neuromuscular excitability (numbness, cramps, carpopedal spasm, laryngeal stridor, generalized convulsions)
 - hypocalcemia + hyperphosphatemia
 - normal / low serum alkaline phosphatase
 - premature closure of epiphyses
 - hypoplasia of tooth enamel + dentine; blunting of roots
 - generalized increase in bone density in 9%: 
- localized thickening of skull
 - sacroiliac sclerosis
 - bandlike density in metaphysis of long bones (25%), iliac crest, vertebral bodies
 - thickened lamina dura (inner table) + widened diploe
 - deformed hips with thickening + sclerosis of femoral head + acetabulum
 
 - Soft tissue 
- intracranial calcifications in basal ganglia, choroid plexus, occasionally in cerebellum
 - calcification of spinal and other ligaments
 - subcutaneous calcifications
 - ossification of muscle insertions
 - ectopic bone formation
 
 
Differences between Various Types of Hypoparathyroidism
 | HypoPT | Pseudo HypoPT | Pseudopseudo HypoPT | 
|---|
 | Serum Ca | ↓ | ↓ | ↔ |  | Serum P | ↑ | ↑ | ↔ |  | AlkaPhos | ↓or ↔ | ↓or ↔ | ↔ |  | Response to PTH-Injection |  | Urine cAMP | ↑ | ↔ |  |  | Urine P | ↑ | ↔ |  |  | Plasma AMP | ↑ | ↔ |  |  
  | 
Differential Signs between PHypoPT and PPHypoPT
| Radiographic Signs | PHypoPT | PPHypoPT | 
|---|
 | √calcification of basal ganglia | 44% | 8% |  | √soft-tissue calcifications | 55% | 40% |  | √metacarpal shortening (4 + 5 always involved) | 75% | 90% |  | √metatarsal shortening (3 + 4 involved) | 70% | 99% |  
  | 
Idiopathic Hypoparathyroidism
= rare condition of unknown cause
- round face, short dwarflike, obese; mental retardation
 - cataracts; dry scaly skin, atrophy of nails
 - dental hypoplasia (delayed tooth eruption, impaction of teeth, supernumerary teeth)
 
Secondary Hypoparathyroidism
= accidental removal / damage to parathyroid glands in thyroid surgery / radical neck dissection (5%); 131I therapy (rare); external beam radiation; hemorrhage; infection; thyroid carcinoma; hemochromatosis (iron deposition)
Pseudohypoparathyroidism
= PHypoPT = congenital X-linked dominant abnormality with renal + skeletal resistance to PTH due to
- Endorgan resistance
 - Presence of antienzymes
 - Defective hormone
 
May be associated with: hyperparathyroidism ← hypocalcemia; F >M
- short obese stature, round face, mental retardation
 - abnormal dentition (hypoplasia, delayed eruption, excessive caries); corneal + lenticular opacity
 - hypocalcemia + hyperphosphatemia (resistant to PTH injection); normal levels of PTH
 - brachydactyly in bones in which epiphysis appears latest: metacarpal, metatarsal bones I, IV, V (75%)
 - accelerated epiphyseal maturation resulting in dwarfism + coxa vara / valga
 - multiple diaphyseal exostoses (occasionally)
 - calcification of basal ganglia + dentate nucleus
 - calcification / ossification of skin + subcutaneous tissue
 
Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism
= PPHypoPT = different expression of same familial disturbance with identical clinical + radiographic features as pseudohypoparathyroidism but normocalcemic
Cause: end-organ resistance to PTH
- short stature, round facies
 - NO blood chemical changes = normal calcium + phosphorus
 - normal response to injection of PTH
 - brachydactyly
 
Outline