A hospital-based survey of primary hyperparathyroidism in the AsirRegion: Low prevalence or underdiagnosis

The number of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) seen at theAsir Central Hospital (ACH) is remarkably low. This observation has raisedthe question of whether there is a low prevalence of PHP in the Asir region,whether it is underdiagnosed, or perhaps a combination of other both factors.A survey of 15 hospitals in the Asir region was conducted for the cases ofPHP. All case notes of the patients with PHP are seen at ACH were reviewed.Also a sample of patients seen at ACH was chosen randomly. The charts ofthose found to have hypercalcemia were reviewed for the inclusion of PHP inthe diagnostic work-up. Only 13 patients with PHP were discovered. The eightpatients with PHP seen at ACH had advanced bone manifestations and seven ofthem had renal manifestations. Hypercalcemia was found in 39 out of 655patients seen at ACH. None of these had been investigated for PHP. The numberof patients with PHP seen in hospitals in the Asir region is very low.Underdiagnosis seems to be an important factor. Therefore, it is felt thatthere is a need for greater awareness of disease in the region. Furthermore,there is a need for national survey to measure the prevalence of PHP in SaudiArabia. (author)