Quantitative ultrasound of the hand phalanges and calcaneus revealed skeletal abnormalities due to primary hyperparathyroidism: a case report.

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common disease causing bone loss in elderly patients. We report a case study of a 36-year-old woman with PHPT. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) assessment of the phalanges and calcaneus revealed significantly lower than normal values for age. This observation was confirmed by measuring bone mineral density in different skeletal sites using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Subsequent parathyroid adenoma surgery normalized calcium metabolism, resulting in a progressive increase of BMD and ultrasound (US) parameters. This report has shown an ability of peripheral QUS examinations (phalanges and calcaneus) in early detection of bone alterations caused by PHPT in a young woman. Skeletal changes after surgery could be evaluated by QUS in a similar manner to that used in DXA.