
POST-THYROIDECTOMY PARATHORMONE LEVELS MAY NOT PREDICT POSTOPERATIVE EUCALCEMIA Postoperative hypocalcemia may occur in patients undergoing total or near-total thyroidectomy. Although most commonly this hypocalcemia is only biochemical, clinical manifestations may be observed in most severe cases. Low parathormone (PTH) levels in the immediate postoperative period may be used as a criterion to predict symptomatic hypocalcemia and need for calcium and calcitriol (1,25 vitamin D) supplementation. However, normal PTH levels cannot predict always eucalcemia, especially in patients with Graves disease and in these cases Vitamin D insufficiency may serve as an underlying cause.