A Case of Parathyroid Adenoma with Sudden Deafness and Vertigo

It is generally reported that parathyroid adenoma is relatively rare. However, we can easily diagnose hyperparathyroidism including asymptomatic due to the development of measurement of serum calcium and PTH. The authors have experienced a case of primary parathyroid adenoma with deafness and vertigo. A 71-year-old male developed sudden deafness with vertigo and treated under hospitalization. He was found to have hypercalcemia on laboratory examinations during a search for the cause of vertigo. Further examinations such as serum PTH and Tc-MIBI scintigraphy indicated a parathyroid tumor. Extirpation of parathyroid tumor was performed and a high level of serum PTH and calcium decreased to the normal range post operatively. Moreover, vertigo did not recur thereafter.The authors reviewed four cases of deafness or vertigo with hypercalcemia reported in the Japanese literature. Relationship between hypercalcemia and internal ear function is discussed.