Use of recombinant human parathyroid hormone to treat hungry bone syndrome in hemodialysis patient

We report the case of a 35-year-old female with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis for nine years. She was diagnosed with secondary hyperparathyroidism complicated with a brown tumor in the mandible. After medical therapy failed, she underwent total parathyroidectomy (PTX), which was complicated by severe and prolonged hypocalcemia (hungry bone syndrome). Post-surgery, she required prolonged and frequent intravenous calcium and a high dose of vitamin D resulting in frequent admission with symptomatic hypocalcemia. Her serum magnesium was noted to be in the normal range. She continued to be hypocalcemic for nearly eight months post-surgery despite the intensive treatment. Recombinant human parathyroid hormone (teriparatide) 20 mg daily resulted in normalization of calcium within two weeks. The use of parathyroid hormone proved to be an effective treatment approach in this case. Proper pre-operative preparation and subtotal PTX with an adequate dose of vitamin D and calcium supplement may have been a rational option for this case.