To prevent hypoparathyroidism (hypothyroidism), attention must be paid to reducing individual risk factors.
Disease-related risk factors
- Autoimmune polyglandular syndromes – e.g., autoimmune polyglandular syndrome type 1 (APS-1).
- Defects of the T-cell series such as Di-George syndrome.
- Hemochromatosis (iron storage disease, hematochromatosis; from Greek: haima = blood, chroma = color) – autosomal recessive hereditary disease; men are much more often affected than women. In the disease, there is increased absorption of iron in the upper small intestine.
- Magnesium deficiency or magnesium depletion.
X-rays
- Radiatio (radiotherapy) in the neck area.
Other risk factors
Postoperative – after surgery in the neck area (most common cause), e.g.:
- Parathyroidectomy (parathyroidectomy).
- Radical neck surgery
- Strumectomy (removal of thyroid tissue).
- Total thyroidectomy (TT; surgical removal of the entire thyroid gland).
- Accidental injury to the parathyroid glandulae (parathyroid glands) during cervical surgery.
Surgeons should exercise extreme caution during neck surgery!
