Secondary Hypoparathyroidism Causes
Unlike primary hypoparathyroidism, secondary hypoparathyroidism is often the result of damage to the hypoparathyroidism glands. The most common cause of this form is a traumatic injury of the neck or head, which can impair the organ’s functions. A genetic disorder called Wilson disease can lead to excess levels of copper and increase the risk. A deficiency of magnesium would also be a risk factor as this mineral is necessary for parathyroid hormone to be produced. Some other possible causes of secondary hypoparathyroidism include thalassemia and hemochromatosis, which cause iron to build up; invasion of metastatic or thyroid cancer; radiation therapy for neck or head cancer; and surgical injury to blood vessels supplying nutrients to the parathyroid glands. [4]
