Relationship of hyperparathyroidism to multiple endocrine adenomatosis.

An experience with 8 families with 56 members affected with hyperparathyroidism has emphasized that heredity is an important etiologic factor in this disease. The finding of other endocrine involvement in several members of these families has suggested that hereditary hyperparathyroidism is only a part of the autosomal dominantly inherited multiple endocrine adenomatosis syndrome. This association with hyperparathyroidism, a disease being found with increasing frequency as an inherited condition, provides evidence that multiple endocrine adenomatosis is more common than previously suspected.