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Nearly one half (five chapters) of this 12-chapter booklet is devoted to a review of pertinent literature dealing with the history, histology, physiology, pathology, and pathogenesis of hyperparathyroidism. Some of these aspects are discussed at length; others only briefly with some good references on the subject.
The remainder of the booklet is divided into three chapters (6 through 8) detailing diagnosis and surgical treatment of hyperparathyroidism and four chapters (9 through 12) summarizing the author's experience in the care of 267 patients.
In the discussion of pathogenesis of hyperparathyroidism, the author states that more than one gland was involved in 45% of his patients. Such an observation led him to believe that the disease was the result of prolonged hypocalcemia without reinvolution. He attributes hypocalcemia to inadequate calcium resorption from the gut, excessively high urinary calcium excretion, or a reduced sensitivity to vitamin D in renal insufficiency. This may be