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A History of Hyperparathyroidism

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Medical and Surgical Treatment of Parathyroid Diseases

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Abstract

Endocrine disorders are primarily caused by increased or decreased secretion of a hormone (from the Greek word first proposed in 1905 by Starling, meaning to excite, arouse, or set in motion) [1]. The first mentioned endocrine operation in antiquity was castration [2]. The last endocrine gland to be discovered was the parathyroid gland [3]. These tiny millet-sized structures are situated near the thyroid gland in the neck and were often inadvertently removed during thyroid operations that caused hypocalcemia and tetany. Parathyroid glands could also become neoplasms and secrete too much parathyroid hormone thus resulting in hypercalcemia with kidney and/or bone disorders. In this chapter I will clarify the progress leading to the discovery of primary hyperparathyroidism and how it should most effectively be treated.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    No EBM classifications were made of historical references.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Former Professor of Surgery, Division of Endocrime Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA

    Orlo H. Clark M.D., F.A.C.S.

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  1. Orlo H. Clark M.D., F.A.C.S.
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Correspondence to Orlo H. Clark M.D., F.A.C.S. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

    Brendan C. Stack, Jr.

  2. Department of Geniatrics and Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA

    Donald L. Bodenner

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Clark, O.H. (2017). A History of Hyperparathyroidism. In: Stack, Jr., B., Bodenner, D. (eds) Medical and Surgical Treatment of Parathyroid Diseases. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26794-4_27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-26794-4_27

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