[The history of the parathyroid glands - A contribution to the history of the parathyroid glands, their anatomy, function and their diseases.].

The article reviews the scientific history of the parathyroid gland beginning with its first detection by Ivar Victor Sandström. Following his meticulous anatomical and histological description (1880) it took years of meandering work by many pathologists, physiologists and surgeons to uncover its complex contributions to calcium regulation in the body and associated diseases. Finally some aspects of the current status in treating hyper- and hypoparathyroidism are delineated.