Fibroosseous tumors of the facial skeleton in association with primary hyperparathyroidism: an endocrine syndrome or coincidence?

In a retrospective study of 350 cases of primary hyperparathyroidism at the University of Toronto, 5 patients had associated benign fibroosseous lesions of the facial skeleton which did not regress after successful parathyroidectomy and restoration of normocalcemia. Two of these patients were siblings and an offspring of one of these patients was recently shown to have hyperparathyroidism, suggesting that this group of patients does represent a syndrome with familial and genetic implications. At present bone disease in patients with hyperparathyroidism should be viewed with some consideration of unrelated process, and appropriate biopsy and treatment should be undertaken after its recognition.