Diagnosis
The diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism is made by blood tests.
Serum calcium levels are elevated, and the parathyroid hormone level is abnormally high compared with an expected low level in response to the high calcium. A relatively elevated parathyroid hormone has been estimated to have a sensitivity of 60%-80% and a specificity of approximately 90% for primary hyperparathyroidism.
A more powerful variant of comparing the balance between calcium and parathyroid hormone is to perform a 3 hour calcium infusion. After infusion, a parathyroid hormone level above a cutoff of 14 ng/l has a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93% in detecting primary hyperparathyroidism, with a confidence interval of 80% to 100%.
The serum chloride/phosphate ratio is 33 or more in most patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. However, usage of thiazide medications have been reported to causes ratios above 33. Studies without any usage of thiazide diuretics have estimated a serum chloride/phosphate ratio to have a sensitivity of 94% or 95% and a specificity of 96% or 100%.
Urinary cAMP is occasionally measured; this is generally elevated..
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