Overlooked primary hyperparathyroidism presented with fractures: case report

Abstract

In the present paper, we report a female patient with multiple cystic lesions of bone arising from the primary hyperparathyroidism and pathological femur and contralateral tibia fractures at the level of these cystic lesions (osteitis fibrosa cystica). The patient's history revealed that she was admitted to a medical center with vague symptoms such as sudden onset of dyspepsia, loss of appetite, myalgia, arthralgia, fatigue, and weight loss six years ago but no disease was diagnosed. Loss of appetite and loss of weight continued. She had been walking only by assisted ambulation for the last year. However, primary hyperparathyroidism was overlooked until our examination. The fractures were managed by interlocking nailing and grafting after confirming with biopsy that the fractures were due to osteitis fibrosa cystica. The fractures healed uneventfully. In conclusion, it is essential to evaluate patients with these vague symptoms with full biochemical screening and radiological examination for the early detection of the disease.