Course and outcome of pregnancy in a patient with mild, asymptomatic, primary hyperparathyroidism diagnosed before conception

Abstract

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) during pregnancy is well known to confer an increased risk of complications to both the mother and the fetus. However, the risks and optimal management of patients with mild, asymptomatic disease during pregnancy are much less clear. We observed a patient with mild, asymptomatic PHP who was diagnosed before conception through pregnancy. The patient remained asymptomatic through the first 22 weeks of pregnancy, and her calcium levels remained under 11 mg/dL. This occurred despite a dramatic elevation in the level of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D and marked hypercalciuria. Parathyroid surgery was performed at 22 weeks of gestation and a parathyroid adenoma was removed. Postoperatively, the patient's calcium level normalized and the rest of the pregnancy was uncomplicated. The patient delivered a healthy baby at 40 weeks of gestation. The neonatal course was unremarkable. We conclude that mild, asymptomatic PHP during early pregnancy is compatible with normal fetal development and an uncomplicated pregnancy and that the serum calcium level in such patients can remain stable with medical management alone, despite the marked changes in maternal calcium metabolism that characterize normal pregnancy.