Is Estrogen Preferable to Surgery for Postmenopausal Women with Primary Hyperparathyroidism?

Abstract

Most people can agree that primary hyperparathyroidism is not uncommon,¹ especially among postmenopausal women,^{1 , 2} and that it is best treated with curative parathyroidectomy when complicated by renal stones, bone disease, calcium levels above 12 mg per deciliter, hypertension, or reduced renal function. Medical palliation³ is generally accepted for patients who are too frail for surgery or who reject it, and for those who have other diseases that will drastically shorten their lives. But what is best for uncomplicated hyperparathyroidism discovered in symptomless patients by routine blood screening? Do these patients need a cure? Do they benefit from medical palliation?The . . .