We present the rare case of a 47-year-old woman with protracted primary hyperparathyroidism complicated by communicating hydrocephalus and cerebellar tonsillar herniation secondary to calvarial thickening. The parathyroid glands remained elusive, despite the use of advanced preoperative imaging modalities and three neck explorations. The serum calcium was optimally controlled with cinacalcet and alfacalcidol. Awareness of this rare complication is essential for early diagnosis and prompt intervention to prevent fatal posterior brain herniation.
In recent years, the usage of activated vitamin D (alpha-calcidol and calcitriol) in the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC) has escalated and this has put unnecessary burden on the hospital's limited health care budget. The main aim of this study was to determine the effects of a clinical pharmacist's intervention in reducing the inappropriate use of activated vitamin D.
This participant-blinded parallel-group randomized placebo-controlled study demonstrated that alfacalcidol (vitamin D analogue) preserves beta cell function in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes (T1DM) in children.