clinical features
Last reviewed 01/2018
There are the usual clinical features of hypocalcaemia:
- carpopedal spasm
- paraesthesiae
- abdominal cramps
- papilloedema
- epilepsy
Associated endocrine disorders include:
- hypothyroidism
- diabetes mellitus
Phenotypically pseudohypoparathyroidism is associated with:
- short stature
- mental retardation
- obesity
- strabismus
- subcutaneous calcification - rare in acquired hypoparathyroidism
- shortened metacarpals and metatarsals:
- brachydactyly
- especially 3rd, 4th and 5th rays
- bowing of the legs
- rounded moon face
- cerebral calcification
Metacarpal shortening may easily be demonstrated by asking the patient to make a fist and observing that the relevant knuckles are absent.
mental retardation (term that has been replaced by intellectual developmental disorder)