Carcinoma of the parathyroid gland: is it overdiagnosed? A report of three cases.

The true incidence of carcinoma of the parathyroid gland is probably about 1 percent of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism. Overreporting may occur if the diagnosis is based on histologic appearances alone because the histologic criteria are less than definitive. Carcinoma of the parathyroid gland, if diagnosed early and treated with adequate surgical excision, is associated with a satisfactory long-term prognosis. However, the possibility of distant metastases or locally recurrent disease is not necessarily excluded by a prolonged interval of disease-free status, and the physician should continue to follow the patient on a regular basis by physical examination and routine serum calcium analysis.