Parathyroid cancer in a young female patient: a clinical case report

Abstract

Parathyroid carcinoma is an extremely rare malignant neoplasm of the endocrine system, accounting for less than 1% of all cases of primary hyperparathyroidism. The disease is characterized by pronounced hormonal activity, severe hypercalcemia, and a high risk of target organ damage, which largely determines the severity of its clinical course [4,5]. Due to the absence of specific clinical manifestations and the rarity of this entity, preoperative diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma remains a significant clinical challenge. This article presents a clinical case of parathyroid carcinoma in a 39-year-old female patient, accompanied by extremely elevated parathyroid hormone levels (up to 1534 pg/mL) and marked hypercalcemia. A distinctive feature of this case was the presence of a large right-sided cervical mass initially interpreted as thyroid pathology, as well as the coexistence of parathyroid carcinoma with autoimmune thyroiditis. The report includes detailed laboratory, imaging, and histopathological findings, outlines the patient’s clinical course, and describes the outcomes of surgical treatment. The presented clinical case highlights the importance of a comprehensive assessment of clinical and laboratory data and emphasizes the need to increase diagnostic vigilance among physicians of various specialties regarding parathyroid carcinoma.