Abstract

Primary hyperparathyroidism may present with non-specific symptoms, and this may be one reason why patients with coeliac disease fail to improve despite compliance with a gluten-free diet. Seven case reports of primary hyperparathyroidism due to sporadic adenoma occurring in a series of 310 patients with coeliac disease are presented, highlighting the importance of looking for this condition in this population group. A prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism of 2.3% in this series suggests a significant association between hyperparathyroidism and coeliac disease; most studies have indicated a prevalence of 3 in 1000 in the general population, although one study found that it may be as high as 21 in 1000 in women aged 55–75 years. The average age of patients in our series was 59 years and all but one were women. Further studies are needed to establish a possible association between primary hyperparathyroidism and coeliac disease.