Prolonged hungry bone syndrome in a 10-year-old child with parathyroid adenoma.

178 VOLUME 46__FEBRUARY 17, 2009 Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is characterized by an increased osteoclastic bone resorption, leading to osteopenia. Parathyroid resection is the treatment of choice for patients with declining cortical bone density, nephrolithiasis, and severe hypercalcemia(1). One of the common complications of parathyroid surgery is the development of hypocalcemia. The incidence of postoperative hypocalcemia varies, due to possible surgical removal of all parathyroid tissue and long-term hypercalcemic suppression of nonadenomatous parathyroid glands(1,2). Alternatively, hypocalcemia may be due to “hungry bone” syndrome (HBS), which is caused by massive calcium deposition in the bone after surgical treatment for PHPT(1). We report prolonged hungry bone syndrome in a 10-year-old child with a parathyroid adenoma.