1.Paclitaxel-Induced Hypocalcemia in a Patient with Metastatic Breast Disease and Underlying Hypoparathyroidism
Marina Norman ; Nur Aini Eddy Warman ; Nur Haziqah Baharum ; Aimi Fadilah Mohamad ; Mohd Hazriq Awang ; Fatimah Zaherah Mohamed Shah ; Rohana Abdul Ghani
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 2026;41(S1):74-
Introduction:
Hypocalcemia in patients with advanced malignancy is
usually attributed to bone metastases, vitamin D deficiency,
renal impairment, or antiresorptive therapy. Paclitaxel,
a taxane-based chemotherapy agent widely used for
breast cancer, is not commonly associated with calcium
disturbances. Proposed mechanism includes renal tubular
dysfunction, renal salt wasting, and disruptions in bone
metabolism. In patients with underlying disorders of
calcium homeostasis such as hypoparathyroidism, taxanebased chemotherapy such as Docetaxel and Paclitaxel
may exacerbate calcium imbalance. We reported a case of
recurrent hypocalcemia associated with paclitaxel therapy
in a patient with metastatic breast cancer.
Case:
A 42-year-old female with metastatic breast cancer,
involving the liver and bones, had previously undergone
neoadjuvant chemotherapy, mastectomy, and adjuvant
radiotherapy. Following the disease progression, she was
commenced on weekly intravenous paclitaxel at a 20%
dose reduction due to prior complications and underlying
metabolic risk. She had a history of post-thyroidectomy
hypoparathyroidism and had previously been intolerant
to docetaxel during the neoadjuvant chemotherapy, which
was complicated by hypocalcemia, likely secondary to renal
salt wasting. During paclitaxel treatment, she developed recurrent
symptomatic hypocalcemia, requiring multiple hospital
admissions and repeated intravenous calcium gluconate
infusions despite ongoing oral calcium and calcitriol
supplementation, which were temporarily increased during the chemotherapy. These episodes occurred intermittently
in temporal association with paclitaxel administration, with
other causes of hypocalcemia were considered less likely.
Conclusion
Hypocalcemia associated with paclitaxel is rarely
described in literature. This case highlights the importance
of monitoring calcium level in patients receiving paclitaxel,
particularly in those with pre-existing hypoparathyroidism.
Hypocalcemia
;
Hypoparathyroidism
;
Breast Diseases
;
Paclitaxel
2.The Placenta as a Parathyroid: Pregnancy-Induced Normalization of Refractory Postsurgical Hypoparathyroidism
Dinehs Rao ; Siti Sanaa Wan Azman ; Dorothy Maria Anthony Bernard ; Foo Siew Hui
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 2026;41(S1):78-79
Introduction:
Permanent hypoparathyroidism is a recognized complication of total thyroidectomy, with an estimated incidence
of 10.47%. Standard treatment involves supplementation
with calcium and activated vitamin D. However, some
patients remain refractory to conventional therapy and fail
to achieve normocalcemia. During pregnancy, significant
physiological changes occur in calcium-regulating
hormones. Notably, the placenta increases the production
of parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP), which
acts as a calcitropic hormone, mimicking the effects of
parathyroid hormone.
Case:
A 38-year-old female with a history of total thyroidectomy
14 years ago for follicular thyroid carcinoma presented
with permanent hypoparathyroidism. Her condition
was refractory to high-dose replacement therapy, which
included calcium carbonate 3 g BD, alfacalcidol 4 mcg ON,
calcitriol 1 mcg BD, and cholecalciferol 100,000 IU OD.
Despite compliance, her serum calcium levels fluctuated
between 1.7 and 1.93 mmol/L, necessitating intermittent
intravenous calcium infusions. Laboratory investigations
showed a phosphate level of 1.63 mmol/L and 24-hour
urine calcium of 4.81 mmol/L. Her thyroid function
remained stable on levothyroxine 150 mcg daily (T4:
12.0 pmol/L; thyroid-stimulating hormone: 2.93 mIU/L).
While off-label use of teriparatide was being considered,
she became pregnant. As the pregnancy progressed, her
calcium levels stabilized. Calcitriol was discontinued at 26
weeks’ gestation when her calcium reached 2.5 mmol/L.
By 30 weeks, the alfacalcidol dose was reduced to 3.5
mcg daily, with cholecalciferol dosing reduced to 50,000
IU OD. Her corrected calcium levels remained between 2.4 and 2.6 mmol/L until delivery. Similar reduction in
supplementation requirements was noted during her
previous pregnancy.
Conclusion
Elevated PTHrP during pregnancy likely contributed to
improved calcium homeostasis by increasing maternal
bone resorption and enhancing placental calcium transfer.
This case underscores the necessity of individualized,
dynamic adjustments to calcium and vitamin D therapy
based on rigorous biochemical monitoring for pregnant
patients with hypoparathyroidism.
Female
;
Pregnancy
;
Hypoparathyroidism
;
Placenta
3.Analysis of a neonate with Hypoparathyroidism-sensorineural deafness-renal dysplasia syndrome and a literature review.
Dandan WANG ; Qianqian LI ; Hongxiang GUO ; Qingfei HAO ; Yongning CHEN ; Xiuyong CHENG
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2025;42(6):700-706
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the phenotype and genotype of a neonate with Hypoparathyroidism-sensorineural deafness-renal dysplasia syndrome (HDR).
METHODS:
A female neonate with HDR syndrome and thyroid deficiency detected at the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University on December 6,2023 was selected as the study subject, Low-coverage whole-genome sequencing (Lc WGS) and whole exome sequencing (WES) were carried out. Using "hypoparathyroidism""sensorineural deafness""renal dysplasia""HDR""Barakat" and"GATA3" as keywords, the CNKI, Wanfang Data Knowledge Service Platform and PubMed database were searched, and the retrieval time was set from the establishment to March 2025.
RESULTS:
A proband, a full-term female infant, had presented with feeding difficulty, micrognathia, and low-set ears. Serological test revealed hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, hypoparathyroidism, low T3, low T4 and high TSH. Hearing test revealed bilateral sensorineural deafness. Ultrasonic test revealed absence of right kidney and thyroid. WES revealed that the she has harbored a deletion of approximately 6.67 Mb at 10p15.1p13, and Lc WGS confirmed the presence of a 6.70 Mb deletion in the same region, which was verified as a de novo variant. Literature review suggested that HDR was rarely diagnosed among neonates. Among the nine cases diagnosed in neonatal period, 66.6% (6/9) exhibited the typical triad, 77.7% (7/9) had hypoparathyroidism with hypocalcemic convulsion as the initial symptom, 22.2% (2/9) had sensorineural hearing loss or renal malformation, and 66.6% (6/9) had multiple malformations including facial dysmorphism and congenital heart disease. 55.5% (5/9) had a large deletion in the 10p15 region, whilst 33.3% (3/9) had a single gene variant. The range of the deletion had correlated with the diversity of clinical phenotypes in HDR syndrome, but the classic triad of symptoms may presented in any combination, independent of deletion size. Association of HDR with thyroid deficiency has been unreported previously.
CONCLUSION
For neonates presenting with one of the symptoms of HDR triad or in combination with other malformations, genetic testing should be carried out.
Humans
;
Hypoparathyroidism/diagnosis*
;
Female
;
Infant, Newborn
;
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/diagnosis*
;
GATA3 Transcription Factor/genetics*
;
Nephrosis/genetics*
;
Phenotype
;
Exome Sequencing
4.Clinical application of retrograde thyroidectomy from top to bottom in retrosternal thyroid surgery.
Jing WU ; Xiaohong LI ; Changyu YAO ; Daming WANG ; Yehai LIU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2023;37(12):1011-1018
Objective:To investigate the value of retrograde thyroidectomy from top to bottom in the operation of retrosternal thyroid surgery. Methods:Retrospective analysis was performed on the cases of retrosternal goiter excised by our surgeons from January 2017 to June 2022,the technical points, feasibility and advantages of the operation were summarized. Results:A total of 15 cases of retrosternal goiter treated by retrograde thyroidectomy were collected, including 5 cases of type Ⅰ retrosternal goiter and 10 cases of type Ⅱ retrosternal goiter.The postoperative pathology was benign. The surgical time is 40-60 minutes for unilateral retrosternal goiter and 70-90 minutes for bilateral goiter. All patients were discharged normally within 7 days after operation, and no operative complications were observed such as bleeding, hoarseness or hypoparathyroidism. Conclusion:This surgical excision method of thyroid is suitable for the type Ⅰ and type Ⅱ retrosternal goiter surgery, which can avoid the difficulties in exposing and separating the the inferior thyroid behind the sternum in conventional surgical method, speed up the operation and reduced the difficulty of operation, and has certain promotion value in clinic.
Humans
;
Thyroidectomy/methods*
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Goiter, Substernal/pathology*
;
Hypoparathyroidism/surgery*
5.Predictive value of PTH level on day 1 after surgery for papillary thyroid carcinoma in patients with permanent hypoparathyroidism.
Jinwei GAO ; Qi ZHANG ; Zesheng WANG ; Yibin GUO ; Shengchang LIANG ; Yupeng ZHANG ; Kunpeng QU
Journal of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery 2023;37(5):365-369
Objective:To investigate the relationship between parathyroid hormone(PTH) level and permanent hypoparathyroidism(PHPP) on the first day after radical papillary thyroidectomy, and its predictive value. Methods:A total of 80 patients with papillary thyroid cancer who underwent total thyroid resection and central lymph node dissection were collected and analyzed from January 2021 to January 2022. According to whether PHPP occurred after surgery, the patients were divided into hypoparathyroidism group and normal parathyroid function group, and univariate and binary logistics regression were used to analyze the correlation between PTH and serum calcium levels and PHPP on the first day after surgery in two groups. The dynamic changes of PTH at different time points after operation were analyzed. The area under the receiver operating characteristic was used to evaluate the predictive power of PTH on the development of PHPP after surgery. Results:Among the 80 patients with papillary thyroid cancer, 10 cases developed PHPP, with an incidence rate of 12.5%. Binary logistics regression analysis showed that PTH on the first postoperative day(OR=14.534, 95%CI: 2.377-88.858, P=0.004) was an independent predictive risk factor for postoperative PHPP. Taking PTH=8.75 ng/L on the first postoperative day as the cut-off value, the AUC of the area under the curve was 0.874(95%CI: 0.790-0.958, P<0.001), the sensitivity was 71.4%, the specificity was 100%, and the Yoden index was 0.714. Conclusion:PTH level on the first day after total thyroid papillary carcinoma surgery is closely related to PHPP, and is an independent predictor of PHPP.
Humans
;
Calcium
;
Hypoparathyroidism/surgery*
;
Parathyroid Glands
;
Parathyroid Hormone
;
Postoperative Complications/surgery*
;
Thyroid Cancer, Papillary/surgery*
;
Thyroid Neoplasms/complications*
;
Thyroidectomy
6.Clinical and genetic analysis of a newborn with hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural hearing loss, and renal dysplasia syndrome.
Qiaoyan SHAO ; Peilin WU ; Biyun LIN ; Senjing CHEN ; Jian LIU ; Suqing CHEN
Chinese Journal of Medical Genetics 2022;39(2):222-226
OBJECTIVE:
To analyze the clinical phenotype and genetic basis for a male neonate featuring hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural hearing loss, and renal dysplasia (HDR) syndrome.
METHODS:
The child was subjected to genome-wide copy number variation (CNVs) analysis and whole exome sequencing (WES). Clinical data of the patient was analyzed. A literature review was also carried out.
RESULTS:
The patient, a male neonate, had presented with peculiar facial appearance, simian crease and sacrococcygeal mass. Blood test revealed hypocalcemia, hypoparathyroidism. Hearing test suggested bilateral sensorineural deafness. Doppler ultrasound showed absence of right kidney. Copy number variation sequencing revealed a 12.71 Mb deletion at 10p15.3-p13 (chr10: 105 001_12 815 001) region. WES confirmed haploinsufficiency of the GATA3 gene. With supplement of calcium and vitamin D, the condition of the child has improved.
CONCLUSION
The deletion of 10p15.3p13 probably underlay the HDR syndrome in this patient.
DNA Copy Number Variations
;
Hearing Loss, Sensorineural/genetics*
;
Humans
;
Hypoparathyroidism/genetics*
;
Infant, Newborn
;
Kidney/abnormalities*
;
Male
;
Syndrome
;
Urogenital Abnormalities/genetics*
7.Hypoparathyroidism in a Case of Transfusion Dependent Thalassemia
Journal of the ASEAN Federation of Endocrine Societies 2020;35(1):129-132
Repeated blood transfusions in transfusion dependent thalassemia (TDT) leads to iron overload-related endocrine complications. Hypoparathyroidism (HPT) with severe signs of hypocalcemia is a recognized complication among these patients. A 14-year-old thalassaemic boy, on regular transfusion and on anticonvulsant therapy with a presumptive diagnosis of epilepsy for the last 1 year, was admitted with high fever and severe muscle cramps with positive Trousseau’s sign. He was diagnosed as a case of primary HPT and magnesium deficiency on the basis of low serum calcium, high phosphate, normal alkaline phosphates, very low intact parathyroid hormone (iPTH), normal serum vitamin D and very low serum magnesium level. His calcium, magnesium and phosphate level normalised following treatment with intravenous magnesium and calcium. His iPTH improved but remained at low normal. He was discharged from hospital with oral calcium, calcitriol, and magnesium supplementation. The anticonvulsant (Phenobarbitone) was successfully withdrawn gradually over the next six months without any recurrence of seizure in the subsequent 3 years of follow up. Acquired HPT (apparently from hemosiderosis) is a common cause of hypocalcemia; and magnesium depletion further complicated the situation leading to severe hypocalcemia with recurrent episodes of convulsion. Magnesium replacement improved the parathyroid hormone (PTH) value proving its role in acquired HPT. Very high phosphate level on admission and poor PTH response with respect to the low serum calcium, indicates intrinsic parathyroid pathology. Metabolic abnormalities should always be evaluated in thalassaemic subject with seizure disorder and it appears that the initial convulsive episodes were due to hypocalcemia. Muscle pain, cramps or convulsion may occur from HPT and simultaneous magnesium deficiency in transfusion dependent thalassaemic subjects. Metabolic correction is more important than anticonvulsant medication. Calcium and magnesium should both be assessed routinely in transfusion dependent thalassemic patients.
Hemosiderosis
;
Hypoparathyroidism
;
Thalassemia
8.Aluminum toxicity to bone: A multisystem effect?
Osteoporosis and Sarcopenia 2019;5(1):2-5
Aluminum (Al) is the third most abundant element in the earth's crust and is omnipresent in our environment, including our food. However, with normal renal function, oral and enteral ingestion of substances contaminated with Al, such as antacids and infant formulae, do not cause problems. The intestine, skin, and respiratory tract are barriers to Al entry into the blood. However, contamination of fluids given parenterally, such as parenteral nutrition solutions, or hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis or even oral Al-containing substances to patients with impaired renal function could result in accumulation in bone, parathyroids, liver, spleen, and kidney. The toxic effects of Al to the skeleton include fractures accompanying a painful osteomalacia, hypoparathyroidism, microcytic anemia, cholestatic hepatotoxicity, and suppression of the renal enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D-1 alpha hydroxylase. The sources of Al include contamination of calcium and phosphate salts, albumin and heparin. Contamination occurs either from inability to remove the naturally accumulating Al or from leeching from glass columns used in compound purification processes. Awareness of this long-standing problem should allow physicians to choose pharmaceutical products with lower quantities of Al listed on the label as long as this practice is mandated by specific national drug regulatory agencies.
Aluminum
;
Anemia
;
Antacids
;
Calcium
;
Eating
;
Glass
;
Heparin
;
Humans
;
Hypoparathyroidism
;
Infant Formula
;
Intestines
;
Kidney
;
Leeching
;
Liver
;
Osteomalacia
;
Parathyroid Glands
;
Parenteral Nutrition Solutions
;
Peritoneal Dialysis
;
Pharmaceutical Preparations
;
Renal Dialysis
;
Respiratory System
;
Salts
;
Skeleton
;
Skin
;
Spleen
9.Fahr's Disease With Intracerebral Hemorrhage at the Uncommon Location: A Case Report
Baek Hee JANG ; Seong Wook SON ; Chung Reen KIM
Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine 2019;43(2):230-233
Fahr's disease (FD) is a rare neurologic disorder characterized by the symmetric and bilateral intracerebral calcification in a patient. We describe the case of a 65-year-old woman who presented with gait disturbance, abnormal mentality, and visual field defect. The result of a brain computerized tomography showed spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage in the right parieto-occipital area, and also showed the incidence of symmetric and bilateral intracerebral calcification. Moreover, laboratory studies indicated characteristic hypoparathyroidism. This brings us to understand that additionally, one of her sons also presented with similar intracerebral calcification, and was subsequently diagnosed with FD. Thus, her case was consistent with that of a patient experiencing FD. The patient had hypertension, which we now know might have caused the intracerebral hemorrhage. However, this patient's brain lesions were in uncommon locations for spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage, and the lesions were noted as occurring away from the identified heavily calcified areas. Thus, it seemed that the massive calcification of cerebral vessels in the basal ganglia, the most common site of intracerebral hemorrhage, might have prevented a hypertensive intracerebral hemorrhage. Eventually, an intracerebral hemorrhage occurred in an uncommon location in the patient's brain.
Aged
;
Basal Ganglia
;
Brain
;
Cerebral Hemorrhage
;
Female
;
Gait
;
Humans
;
Hypertension
;
Hypoparathyroidism
;
Incidence
;
Intracranial Hemorrhage, Hypertensive
;
Intracranial Hemorrhages
;
Nervous System Diseases
;
Visual Fields
10.Preventive Effects of Low Parathyroid Hormone Levels on Hip Fracture in Patients with Vitamin D Deficiency
Seong Eun BYUN ; Soonchul LEE ; Ji Wan KIM ; Yong Chan HA ; Chul Ho KIM ; Cheungsoo HA ; Keun Jung RYU ; Jung Min KOH ; Hyung Kyung KIM ; Jae Suk CHANG
Journal of Bone Metabolism 2019;26(2):89-95
BACKGROUND: The objective of the current study is to determine the role of serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) on hip fracture development by retrospectively analyzing the relationship between vitamin D and PTH levels and hip fracture prevalence. METHODS: Among 288 patients over 50 years of age, 113 patients with hip fracture and 111 controls without fracture were analyzed after excluding patients with conditions affecting bone metabolism. Bone mineral density and serum biochemical markers were measured, while demographic data were obtained. Patients were divided into 4 groups according to serum 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-[OH]D) and PTH levels: LowD+LowP (low 25[OH]D and PTH); LowD+HighP, (low 25[OH]D and high PTH); HighD+LowP (high 25[OH]D and low PTH); and HighD+HighP, patients with (high 25[OH]D and PTH). Measured values and percentages of patients with hip fracture in each group were then determined and compared. RESULTS: The number of patients included in the LowD+LowP, LowD+HighP, HighD+LowP, and HighD+HighP groups was 116, 17, 87, and 4, while the percentages of patients with hip fracture in the same groups were 60.3%, 88.2%, 27.6%, and 100%, respectively. The percentage of hip fracture was significantly lower in the LowD+LowP than the LowD+HighP group (P=0.049). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with low serum 25(OH)D and PTH levels showed lower hip fracture prevalence, indicating the potential protective role of low PTH levels on bone health in patients with vitamin D deficiency. Therefore, clinicians should pay more attention to the possibility of fractures in patients with vitamin D deficiency who present with high PTH levels.
Biomarkers
;
Bone Density
;
Hip Fractures
;
Hip
;
Humans
;
Hypoparathyroidism
;
Metabolism
;
Parathyroid Hormone
;
Prevalence
;
Retrospective Studies
;
Vitamin D Deficiency
;
Vitamin D
;
Vitamins


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