Hyperparathyroidism — Too Little, Too Much Surgery?

Abstract

In the article entitled "Parathyroid Autotransplantation in Primary Parathyroid Hyperplasia" appearing elsewhere in this issue of the Journal Wells and his colleagues have demonstrated that it is possible with care and finesse to graft hyperplastic parathyroid tissue into the front of the forearm of the patient from whom the gland was removed, with evidence later that the grafted pieces are able to secrete parathyroid hormone. This procedure is handy to know about in case the surgeon is driven into it by having taken out too much parathyroid tissue. But its success is far from indicating that it provides the way . . .