OCCASIONALLY, two parathyroid adenomas are found in a single patient; however, the occurrence of three true adenomas is exceedingly unusual. When more than one adenoma is encountered, the possibility of parathyroid hyperplasia should be considered. This is a report of a patient in whom three parathyroid adenomas were identified and removed and a normal appearing fourth parathyroid gland identified and biopsied.
Report of a Case
A 37-year-old housewife had the sudden onset of acute lower abdominal pain on March 26, 1965. This pain was associated with some left shoulder pain which was accentuated with respiration. The patient was hospitalized in her hometown with the diagnosis of possible ruptured ovarian cyst. Following admission to her local hospital, she became febrile and a pleural effusion on the left was noted, and therefore she was transferred to the University Hospitals on April 4, 1965, with a diagnosis of possible pneumonia. Admission roentgenograms of