Myocardial dysfunction and pulmonary edema post parathyroidectomy: the role of hypocalcemia.

Cardiac disease is a common cause of morbidity in dialysis patients. Traditional and unique risk factors have both been incriminated in the pathogenesis of abnormal cardiac function in these patients. In the present report, we focus on the role of hypocalcemia post parathyroidectomy as a cause of abnormal myocardial function leading to pulmonary edema in a young peritoneal dialysis patient with angiographically-proven normal coronary arteries. The pulmonary edema reversed with correction of the hypocalcemia. Hypocalcemia should be added to the differential diagnosis of contributors to cardiac dysfunction in patients on dialysis. Post parathyroidectomy, patients may be at particular risk for this complication because of severe, protracted hypocalcemia.