The Clinical Value of Routine Serum Calcium Analysis
- C. E. BOONSTRA, M.D., F.A.C.P.; and
- C. E. JACKSON, M.D., F.A.C.P.
- Requests for reprints should be addressed to Charles E. Boonstra, M.D., Caylor-Nickel Clinic, 303 South Main Street, Bluffton, Indiana.
Excerpt
The results of serum calcium analysis on nearly 12,000 consecutive individuals appearing for clinical evaluation in a 29-month period are presented in this paper. Interest in this type of survey was stimulated by the occurrence of several cases with asymptomatic parathyroid adenomas during an investigation of the hereditary aspects of hyperparathyroidism (1). The study was facilitated by the availability of an ammonium purpurate method (2) adapted for use in an automatic chemical analyzer.*
METHODS This survey was begun in June 1959, and continued through March 1962, except for a 4-month period from the middle of August 1960, through the middle
This 100-word excerpt has been provided in the absence of an abstract.
Addendum
Since this paper was submitted, diagnoses have been established for 2 additional individuals in this series whose initial calcium values were elevated. A tenth case of hyperparathyroidism was confirmed by removal of a 1.4 g parathyroid adenoma from a 59-year-old woman who had had an initial calcium level of 11.9 mg/100 ml. This increases the incidence of primary hyperparathyroidism to 0.083%. A second case of hypervitaminosis D was proven in a 55-year-old woman by the fall and rise of levels of serum calcium which accompanied the withdrawal and reinstitution of 50,000 units of vitamin D daily.
No obstetrical patients and only a few children were included in this survey.
Note in Proof
Summario in Interlingua
Es presentate le resultatos de determinationes routinari del calcium seral in quasi 12.000 consecutive patientes individual le quales se habeva presentate a nostre institution pro un evalutation clinic. Esseva discoperite 9 casos de hyperparathyroidismo, representante un incidentia de 0,075 pro cento. Solmente un del 9 correspondente patientes habeva symptomas o signos de un typo que poterea ordinarimente suggerer le diagnose. Esseva etiam discoperite 3 casos de hypoparathyroidismo, de maniera que le incidentia total de definite anormalitates del function parathyroide amontava a 0,1 pro cento. Altere anormalitates discoperite per medio de iste technica esseva 2 casos de syndrome de bibitor de lacte, un caso de hypervitaminosis D, un caso de myeloma multiple, e 5 casos de hypercalciemia associate con malignitate. Iste incidentia de anormalitates sublinea le valor clinic de iste typo de investigation.
Article and Author Information
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From the Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine, Caylor-Nickel Clinic, Bluffton, Indiana.
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Sponsored in part by the Caylor-Nickel Research Foundation and United States Public Health Service Grant A 2901.
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↵* Autoanalyzer, Technicon Instruments Corporation, Chauncey, New York.
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- Received May 25, 1962.
- Accepted June 28, 1962.
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