Until recently, I never paid much attention to the possibility
that abnormalities of the parathyroid glands could be relevant
to patients in my practice. But I decided to learn more about
this issue when one of my patients with bipolar disorder who had
been treated with lithium(Drug information on lithium) told me
that she had been given a diagnosis of a parathyroid adenoma
after her primary care physician noted hypercalcemia on routine
testing. Since undergoing successful surgery to remove the
adenoma, she is feeling much sharper mentally and more
energetic. Lithium continues to be the gold standard for the
treatment of bipolar disorder. It is also helpful for related
diagnoses, such as schizoaffective disorder and cyclic major
depression. In addition to watching out for the well-known
complications of lithium treatment—hypothyroidism and decreased
renal function—health care providers should be aware of
hyperparathyroidism. Development of Hyperparathyroidism The
parathyroid glands are 4 small structures loca