Background: Ninety percent of cases of hypercalcaemia are due to primary hyperparathyroidism or hypercalcaemia of malignancy.
Objective: This article outlines the diagnostic features of primary hyperparathyroidism and determines who would benefit from parathyroidectomy. It also aims to raise awareness of familial hyperparathyroid syndromes.
Discussion: Diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism requires hypercalcaemia, elevated or inappropriately normal serum parathyroid hormone and a fractional urinary excretion of calcium greater than 0.02. Many patients benefit from parathyroidectomy, which has a high rate of cure.