09/26/2025
🏥 Interesting Case of the Week: Metastatic Papillary Thyroid Cancer and Hyperparathyroidism
We recently had the pleasure of treating a 54-year-old woman from Virginia who was experiencing persistent bone pain. She was otherwise healthy, with a history only notable for hypertension managed with lisinopril and hydrochlorothiazide. Initially, her bone pain was attributed to arthritis, and she was asked to undergo an MRI.
Routine bloodwork revealed abnormal thyroid function tests and a high calcium level. While her doctor initially suspected her elevated calcium was related to hydrochlorothiazide, a thyroid ultrasound revealed a suspicious right-sided thyroid nodule and a right lateral neck lymph node. Biopsies confirmed papillary thyroid cancer with metastasis to her neck lymph node. Upon receiving this diagnosis, she found us online and submitted a patient intake form.
During our evaluation, a high-resolution ultrasound confirmed multiple metastatic lymph nodes in her right lateral neck. Importantly, her elevated calcium and bone pain prompted us to check her parathyroid hormone (PTH) level. With both calcium and PTH elevated, we diagnosed hyperparathyroidism—allowing us to address both her thyroid cancer and parathyroid disease in a single operation.
She underwent a total thyroidectomy, bilateral central neck dissection, right lateral neck dissection, and parathyroidectomy. The surgery was successful, and she was discharged the following day with a well-healing incision. Today, she is back home in Virginia, enjoying daily bike rides, feeling strong, with a normal voice, no more bone pain or achy muscles, and cancer-free.
📖 Read more about papillary thyroid cancer and here: https://www.thyroidcancer.com/thyroid-cancer/papillary
💡 Interested in becoming our patient? Learn more here: https://www.thyroidcancer.com/surgery
