The Changing Clinical Patterns of Primary Hyperparathyroidism in Chinese Patients: Data from 2000 to 2010 in a Single Clinical Center

Context: In Western countries, most patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) are asymptomatic. The incidence of parathyroid cancer is as low as 1% but is trending upward. The clinical outlook for Chinese patients with PHPT is unclear. Objective: Our objective was to describe the changing clinical patterns of benign and malignant PHPT in Chinese patients from 2000 to 2010. Design and Setting: This was a cross-sectional study. Subjects: A total of 249 patients with PHPT were studied. Main Outcome Measures: The clinical manifestations and biochemical abnormalities of PHPT were analyzed. Results: Of our patients with PHPT, 61.4% were symptomatic, but asymptomatic PHPT has increased from <21% in 2000–2006 to 42.4% to 52.5% in 2007–2010. Of asymptomatic patients, 48.9% came to our center because of elevation of serum calcium levels, and another 46.9% came because of parathyroid nodule(s) incidentally discovered by thyroid ultrasonography, with a steady increase from 18.3% before 2007 to 35.7% in 2007–20...