Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0027627 (metastases)
 103,950 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We describe the effect of repeated surgical procedures in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma over a period of seven years. Initially a subtotal parathyroidectomy was performed for adenomatous hyperplasia. After two years of normocalcemia, hypercalcemia recurred. Two subsequent re-explorations, one of the neck and one of the mediastinum, showed no abnormalities. Histopathologic revision of the primary specimen demonstrated parathyroid carcinoma. Attention was then focused on extra-regional disease, and a hepatic metastasis was detected and successfully resected. Within one year, functional pulmonary metastases occurred. These metastases were treated by four thoracotomies, each providing effective palliation. Eventually the patient died of uncontrollable hypercalcemia seven years after the primary procedure. Even at the time of death there were no signs of recurrent disease in the neck. Parathyroid carcinoma is known to produce local and distant metastases causing severe hypercalcemia. Because medical treatment mostly offers only temporary success and surgery facilitates effective palliation with minimal morbidity, an aggressive surgical approach for functional metastases of parathyroid carcinoma is recommended.
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PMID:Successful resection of hepatic and pulmonary metastases in a patient with parathyroid carcinoma. 860 2

Parathyroid carcinoma is an uncommon endocrine malignancy, with difficult diagnosis. There are several presenting clinical and biochemical features that suggest it: much higher serum calcium and PTH levels than parathyroid adenomas, symptoms of severe hypercalcemia, the classical target organs affected and a palpable neck mass. Pathologic findings, local invasion, lymph node and distant metastases prove the diagnosis. Initial surgical therapy (en bloc dissection) is the only chance for cure it. The management of recurrent and/or metastatic parathyroid carcinoma is also surgical, resulting in significant palliation from hypercalcemia, whereas radiation therapy and chemotherapy are not helpful. Bisphosphonates (drugs that inhibit bone resorption) control acute and chronic hypercalcemia when surgery is not effective or possible. Preoperative localization studies (cervical ultrasound, CT scan, MRI and sestamibi scan) are useful in patients with recurrent or persistent parathyroid cancer.
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PMID:[Diagnostic-therapeutic management of parathyroid carcinoma]. 1259 36

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism, and the efficacy of medical therapy and chemo- and radiotherapy is poor in recurrent or metastatic disease. We report the first case of PTH immunization in which tumor shrinkage accompanied hormonal, biochemical, and clinical improvements in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma.A 50-yr-old woman with refractory parathyroid carcinoma and pulmonary metastases was immunized eight times between February 2001 and December 2003 with bovine and modified human PTH fragments and intact human PTH, mixed with Freund's adjuvant. Total and ionized calcium and PTH levels were assayed weekly for 6 months and regularly thereafter. Thoracic computed tomography scans were performed regularly. Antibodies to all PTH fragments were detected after two immunizations. Baseline PTH and total calcium were 213.0 ng/liter and 13.96 mg/dl, respectively, and remained elevated during the first three immunizations. From the fourth immunization onward, PTH and calcium decreased, and the patient's clinical condition improved markedly. PTH and calcium levels have remained controlled for more than 24 months, and the sizes (surface area) of pulmonary metastases decreased from baseline by 39-71%. This is the first evidence that PTH immunization not only can improve clinical, hormonal, and biochemical measures in parathyroid carcinoma but also has an antitumor effect.
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PMID:Hormonal and biochemical normalization and tumor shrinkage induced by anti-parathyroid hormone immunotherapy in a patient with metastatic parathyroid carcinoma. 1524 Jun 24

Parathyroid carcinoma is an uncommon malignancy and a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. Although this tumor is capable of metastasis, metastatic disease is very uncommon intracranially, with only seven cases reported in the literature. When intracranial metastases occur, they typically present months to years following the diagnosis of the primary tumor with hypercalcemia refractory to medical conservative treatment. Aggressive surgical resection of all metastases is necessary for control of the disease. We report a case of metastatic parathyroid carcinoma with two intracranial metastatic foci (in the left frontal lobe and left cerebellar hemisphere) identified at the time of the primary tumor diagnosis in a patient who presented with symptomatic hypercalcemia.
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PMID:Parathyroid carcinoma with intracranial metastasis at diagnosis in a patient with uncontrolled hypercalcemia. 2536 37

A 49-year-old man presented in the emergency department with altered sensorium and renal failure and was placed on a ventilator. Evaluation with MRI of the brain showed enhancing lesion in the occipital lobe. Biochemical tests revealed elevated calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. Further evaluation revealed multiple lesions at both lobes of the lungs and nodular lesion in the right inferior pole of the thyroid. Diagnosis of metastatic parathyroid carcinoma was suspected. Patient was stabilised with bisphosphonates and haemodialysis and planned for surgery. Intraoperatively a hard lesion was found in the right inferior parathyroid infiltrating the surrounding structures. En bloc resection was done. General condition of the patient improved and he was weaned from the ventilator. Histopathology confirmed the diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma. Postoperatively, there was persistent elevation of PTH in spite of a fall in calcium levels indicating functioning brain and pulmonary metastases. Due to extensive metastases, the patient was given palliative cinacalcet and was kept under follow-up.
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PMID:Hypercalcaemic encephalopathy due to metastatic parathyroid carcinoma. 2856 13