Serial evaluation of parathyroid size by ultrasonography is another useful marker for the long-term prognosis of calcitriol pulse therapy in chronic dialysis patients.

To clarify whether the changes of parathyroid size have any correlations with the long-term prognosis of calcitriol pulse therapy, we examined the time course of serum levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and size of parathyroid glands in 14 chronic dialysis patients during and after the oral calcitriol pulse therapy. In 5 patients without any detectable glands, secondary hyperparathyroidism was easily controlled by calcitriol pulse therapy and then by conventional oral active vitamin D therapy. In 2 patients with detectable gland(s) in whom size of all parathyroid glands as well as PTH hypersecretion regressed to normal by calcitriol pulse therapy, secondary hyperparathyroidism could then remain controlled at least for 12 months after switching to conventional oral active vitamin D therapy. In contrast, in 7 patients in whom size of all parathyroid glands did not regress to normal by calcitriol pulse therapy, secondary hyperparathyroidism relapsed after switching to the conventional therapy, even if PTH hypersecretion could be controlled temporarily. Our findings suggest that the time course of parathyroid hyperplasia detected by ultrasonography is an important determinant of the efficacy and the prognosis of calcitriol pulse therapy. Thus, the change of parathyroid gland size as well as PTH hypersecretion should be taken into account for the management of secondary hyperparathyroidism.