Department for Internal Medicine I
Gastroenterology, Endocrinology, Infectiology and Rheumatology
We treat diseases of the parathyroid glands in order to normalise parathyroid hormone and calcium metabolism and prevent serious secondary diseases.
The lentil-sized parathyroid glands are located behind the thyroid gland, two at the upper poles and two at the lower poles.
The parathyroid glands play an important role in calcium metabolism. They produce parathyroid hormone, which keeps calcium levels within the normal range.
When the parathyroid glands are damaged, they produce too little or no parathyroid hormone. This leads to a calcium deficiency. In turn this leads to muscle cramps and irregular heartbeat. Because the body cannot replace the parathyroid hormone itself, patients need to take calcium tablets throughout the day. Vitamin D also helps to increase calcium levels. In rare cases, direct replacement of parathyroid hormone is needed.
In addition to hypofunction, the parathyroid glands can also become overactive. In this case, one or more of the parathyroid glands produce too much parathyroid hormone. This causes the calcium value to rise above the normal range. The consequences include kidney stones, gallstones and stomach ulcers. Parathyroid hormone causes increased release of calcium from the bones, which can lead to osteoporosis.
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