Abstract
Background:
Parathyroid storm, also known as parathyroid crisis, is a rare and under-recognized endocrine emergency due to severe hypercalcemia in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. It is characterized by significantly elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels even up to 20 times above the normal limit along with calcium levels >15 mg/dl, leading to multiorgan dysfunction, notably altered mental status and acute kidney injury. Risk of mortality is high without urgent parathyroidectomy. We describe a case of a patient with acute traumatic brain injury and parathyroid storm with PTH >1700 pg/ml (11-51) and Ca 15.4 mg/dl (8.6-10.4) in whom resection of a parathyroid adenoma reversed the comatose state.
Clinical Case:
Our patient is a 68 year-old male with no significant past medical history who sustained a fall off a 12-foot ladder complicated by right intracranial bleed s/p hemicraniectomy and multiple fractures, including left clavicle fracture with possible subclavian artery injury, left rib fractures, and right hip fracture s/p ORIF. The patient had a brief, partial improvement of mental status, followed by comatose state in the setting of rapidly rising calcium levels and acute kidney injury. In the setting of blood transfusions, the patient had an initial Ca of 8.8 mg/dl (8.6-10.4) on admission. The calcium levels rose over a week to 15.4 mg/dl with albumin of 2.4 g/dl (3.9-5.0), PTH levels from 953 pg/ml to >1700 pg/ml (11-51) after tracheostomy, and creatinine from 0.69 mg/dl to peak of 2.0 mg/dl (0.60-1.30). In spite of IV hydration, calcitonin, cinacalcet up to 90mg twice daily, pamidronate 60mg IV, and several sessions of hemodialysis, the patient’s calcium did not normalize, and the patient remained comatose. Other labs showed phosphorus nadir of 1.4 mg/dl (2.3-4.4), 25-OH VitD 13 ng/ml (20-50), 1,25-OH VitD 9.8 pg/ml (19.9-79.3), VitA 0.6 mg/L (0.3-0.9), PTHrP <2.0 pmol/L (0.0-2.3), normal SPEP/UPEP, and peak CK of 569 U/L (63-474). Sestamibi scan showed intense tracer uptake within a nodule near the suprasternal notch, and parathyroid 4D-CT showed a left 17mm pretracheal lesion with cystic degeneration along the superior margin of the manubrium. The patient subsequently underwent parathyroidectomy of an ectopic cystic mass with normalization of calcium and PTH levels. Pathology revealed a 0.8 gram, 1.5 x 1.0 x 0.3 cm enlarged, hypercellular parathyroid. The patient woke up from his comatose state immediately after surgery with progressive improvement in mental status back to baseline, other than left-sided weakness.
Conclusion:
Our case highlights the importance of surgical management as an effective cure for parathyroid crisis and underscores the associated critical and significant rise in calcium and PTH levels, which was resistant to medical treatment.
An animal-to-human scaling law for blast-induced traumatic brain injury risk assessment