Characteristics of primary hyperparathyroidism in young patients

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is well studied in elderly patients. Studies of PHPT characteristics in children, adolescents, and young adults are rare. In some of these studies, investigators have compared clinical and laboratory characteristics of PHPT between young and elderly patients and revealed several differences. An early onset of PHPT may indicate familial syndromes associated with PHPT. These include: multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 1, type 2A, and type 4, hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome, familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, and familial isolated hyperparathyroidism. However, the need for routine genetic tests to exclude these syndromes in all patients with PHPT manifested at a young age is not obvious. To date, there are a few foreign studies on the need for genetic testing in all young patients with PHPT, but their results are controversial. Our review summarizes the data of foreign and Russian studies on characteristics of PHPT in patients with disease onset at a young age.