Psychiatric aspects of parathyroid disease

Parathyroid diseases can present with psychiatric symptoms and can be recog nized through determinations of serum electrolytes, especially the calcium level. Psychiatric evaluations should include a serum calcium concentration test, which is also essential in reassessment of patients poorly responsiv e to mental illness treatment. A magnesium and a phosphate assay may also b e diagnostically helpful. Abnormlity of divalent cation levels may provide evidence for consideration of, or ruling out, parathyroid disorders. Determ inations of parathyroid hormone are performed if clinically indicated, and if abnormal divalent cation quantifications are confirmed. If parathyroid d isease is identified, corrective endocrine therapies may diminish or even c ure psychiatric aspects of parathyroid pathology Failure to recognize a par athyroid disorder leaves an endocrine-induced mental dysfunction without pr oper treatment.