Hyperparathyroidism in peptic ulcer patients.

The high incidence of peptic ulcers and abdominal pain from other causes in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism has been recognized for many years. This paper reports 20 patients with hyperparathyroidism: 12 with peptic ulcers and 8 with abdominal pain from other causes. Only in a minority of these was the diagnosis of hypercalcaemia made as a result of a deliberately sought assay; in most the plasma calcium had been measured as part of a 'screening' procedure with a multichannel analyser. In almost all of the patients who had parathyroid surgery the abdominal symptoms were completely relieved. We urge that plasma calcium assays should be made in all patients with dyspepsia particularly those with recurrent symptoms.