Scintigraphic findings in hungry bone syndrome following parathyroidectomy

Abstract

Prolonged hypocalcemia following parathyroidectomy, called hungry bone syndrome, is a common complication of parathyroid surgery seen in 13-30% of cases. In this article, we report the case of a 48-year-old woman with bone pain and multiple brown tumors as the first manifestation of primary hyperparathyroidism due to a large parathyroid adenoma. After parathyroidectomy, the patient presented clinical signs of hypocalcemia consistent with hungry bone syndrome. Scintigraphic and radiographic modifications following parathyroidectomy are described.