Serum Urate and Renal Urate Clearance in Parathyroid Disorders

Hyperuricemia has been reported in a substantial proportion of patients with hyperparathyroidism (hyperPT) and with hypoparathyroidism (hypoPT) (1). The mechanism of the hyperuricemia in both parathyroid disorders has not conclusively been clarified. In both parathyroid abnormalities the hyperuricemia was postulated to reflect decreased renal urate clearance, attributed in hyperPT to a transitory renal tubular damage (2) and in hypoPT to a tubular abnormality associated with the decreased renal phosphate clearance (3). The present study was undertaken in order to assess the prevalence of hyperuricemia in the parathyroid disorders and in order to improve our knowledge of the renal urate handling in the various states of parathyroid pathology.