A 3-year-old girl was seen by her pediatrician to determine the cause of recent muscle cramps and "tingling" in her fingers and toes. A blood test was performed that showed the girl's thyroid hormone level was low. During that exam, the physician noticed that the fourth metacarpals on each of her hands were shorter than normal, and he could feel hard bumps (nodules) just beneath her skin at various sites on her body. He ordered a blood test for calcium and another hormone, called parathyroid hormone (PTH). The test indicated low calcium and high PTH levels
Questions
- Which hormone is responsible for the ionic imbalance that results in the tingling sensation this patient is experiencing? Is the tingling a result of hypersecretion or hyposecretion of the hormone?
- Name the condition. How did you reach this conclusion?
- What mechanism is responsible for high levels of PTH but low levels of blood calcium?
- What type of intervention do you think will alleviate her symptoms?
*Please cite sources!