EXPERIENCE WITH THE HAMILTON AND HIGHMAN TEST FOR PARATHYROID HYPERFUNCTION IN CHRONIC NEPHRITIS, TOXIC GOITER, AND PAGET'S DISEASE OF BONE

Abstract

Parathyroid hyperfunction was not indicated by the Hamilton and Highman test in 13 of 14 cases with chronic renal insufficiency. These findings do not accord with the large % of positive results found with the same test in a similar series of nephritic patients by the authors of the test. In 4 of the nephritic cases of this study with negative results, the parathyroid glands were found, at postmortem examination, to be enlarged and to show "secondary"'' hyperplasia. One of these patients had renal rickets. The parathyroid function test was found positive in some patients with thyrotoxicosis and some with Paget''s disease. Because of the conflicting results obtained with the method by different investigators the significance of the test is. at present, questionable.