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Early onset of tetany following thyroidectomy: Report of two cases
Author(s) -
Scanlon Edward F.,
Sener Stephen F.,
Murphy E. Dennis
Publication year - 1985
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/jso.2930290404
Subject(s) - tetany , medicine , thyroidectomy , complication , total thyroidectomy , surgery , calcium , subtotal thyroidectomy , thyroid
The most common complication of total thyroidectomy is hypocalcemia. Following thyroidectomy, especially total thyroidectomy, the serum calcium usually falls gradually and patients do not usually require supplementary medication before 24 hours. Two cases of total thyroidectomy are presented in which the preoperative serum calcium levels were normal and hypocalcemic tetany developed in the recovery room immediately after the operation. The hypocalcemia was a temporary phenomenon, and neither patient requires supplementary calcium at the present time. There is no good explanation for this precipitous drop in the serum calcium levels in these two patients.