2002/06/01 by P Bloomfield · 1 citation
Medicine · #Cardiac tumors and thrombi #Cardiac Valve Diseases and Treatments #Atrial Fibrillation Management and Outcomes #Medicine #Hypocalcaemia #Chest pain #Asymptomatic #Primary hyperparathyroidism #Myocardial infarction #Troponin #Angina #Internal medicine #Surgery #Cardiology #Parathyroid hormone #Complication #Calcium
paper · pdf · doi:10.1136/heart.87.6.583
openalex publication_date 2002/06/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/30
A man in his 30s with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent an elective four-gland parathyroid exploration with intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring. On the fourth postoperative day (POD), the patient presented to the emergency department with severe symptomatic hypocalcaemia. ECG findings were in keeping with inferior–posterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); however, he was asymptomatic with no chest pain. Biochemistry revealed elevated serial troponin levels. Coronary angiogram and transthoracic echocardiogram were normal, suggesting coronary vasospasm, mimicking STEMI on ECG because of severe hypocalcaemia post parathyroidectomy. This is an uncommon and unreported complication of parathyroid surgery. The patient was successfully managed with intravenous calcium and discharged on oral calcium replacement on the tenth POD.