Hypoparathyroidism is a very rare disorder. When this disease does occur, the biggest problem for the patient is
not having enough parathyroid hormone working in the body. This can be caused by either the parathyroid gland
not producing hormones or that the hormone isn’t working on the cellular level caused by cellular resistance to the
hormone.The hypoparathyroidism at the cellular level is called pseudohypoparathyroidism and is not truely
hypoparathyroidism. Whatever the disruption in the exchange of parathyroid hormone in the body, the patient
then develops hypocalcaemia and then hyperphosphatemia.
The most common cause of hypoparathyroidism is iatrogenic, meaning it is caused from medical treatments such
as surgery. There are some other known causes of hypoparathyroidism such as sever hypomagnesaemia, idiopathic,
metabolic alkalosis,and autoimmune disease (such as polyglandular deficiency syndromes). Surgery causes
hypoparathyroidism because the parathyroid tissues are located on the thyroid gland towards the back and are small
and easy to miss if the patient is having a total thyroidectomy, therefore removing the parathyroid glands along with
the thyroid gland. Sever hypomagnesaemia causes hypoparathyroidism because it causes the suppression of the
secretion of the parathyroid hormone. When the cause is idiopathic in nature, theparathyroid glands with demonstrate
absence of fatty replacement and can be atrophied. This is pretty rare and occurs early in life. Also the atrophy is
sometimes present from birth as an underdeveloped structure of the body. This abdnormality from bith is called DiGeorge
syndrome which is characterised by the gland missing at birth. A patient can get hypoparathyroidism from family
genetics through other familial edocrine diseases, like adrenal insufficiency which is called type I polygrandular
autoimmune syndrome.
Hypoparathyroidism
Pathophysiology
Hypoparathyroidism is a very rare disorder. When this disease does occur, the biggest problem for the patient is
not having enough parathyroid hormone working in the body. This can be caused by either the parathyroid gland
not producing hormones or that the hormone isn’t working on the cellular level caused by cellular resistance to the
hormone.The hypoparathyroidism at the cellular level is called pseudohypoparathyroidism and is not truely
hypoparathyroidism. Whatever the disruption in the exchange of parathyroid hormone in the body, the patient
then develops hypocalcaemia and then hyperphosphatemia.
The most common cause of hypoparathyroidism is iatrogenic, meaning it is caused from medical treatments such
as surgery. There are some other known causes of hypoparathyroidism such as sever hypomagnesaemia, idiopathic,
metabolic alkalosis,and autoimmune disease (such as polyglandular deficiency syndromes). Surgery causes
hypoparathyroidism because the parathyroid tissues are located on the thyroid gland towards the back and are small
and easy to miss if the patient is having a total thyroidectomy, therefore removing the parathyroid glands along with
the thyroid gland. Sever hypomagnesaemia causes hypoparathyroidism because it causes the suppression of the
secretion of the parathyroid hormone. When the cause is idiopathic in nature, theparathyroid glands with demonstrate
absence of fatty replacement and can be atrophied. This is pretty rare and occurs early in life. Also the atrophy is
sometimes present from birth as an underdeveloped structure of the body. This abdnormality from bith is called DiGeorge
syndrome which is characterised by the gland missing at birth. A patient can get hypoparathyroidism from family
genetics through other familial edocrine diseases, like adrenal insufficiency which is called type I polygrandular
autoimmune syndrome.