Sonography of the neck in hypercalcemic crisis

In hypercalcaemic crisis sonographic identification of an enlarged parathyroid permits the indication for parathyroidectomy. This is particularly important as determination of the parathormone concentration to find out the cause of hypercalcaemia takes too long and thus delays diagnosis and therapy. In two patients with symptoms of crisis successful parathyroidectomy was performed solely on the basis of a raised serum calcium concentration and a sonographically proven enlarged parathyroid.