Pasieka Illness Questionnaire: Its value in primary hyperparathyroidism

Background: A prospective study was undertaken to assess the Pasieka Illness Questionnaire (PIQ) as a clinical evaluation and outcome tool in an Australian setting. The PIQ was specifically designed to assess the impact of surgery on the preoperative symptoms of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (1° HPT). Methods: Sixty of 71 consecutive patients referred with 1° HPT completed the PIQ preoperatively and 3 months after parathyroid surgery. Fifty-four of the 60 patients filled in a 12-month follow-up questionnaire that included a quality of life (QOL) and a self-rated health uni-scale. Serum calcium, ionized calcium and parathyroid hormone levels were obtained on each occasion Results: Eighty per cent of patients identified a significant decrease in symptoms following surgery. QOL and self-rated health improved after undergoing parathyroid surgery. Serum calcium levels returned to normal in 97% of patients 12 months after surgery. Conclusions: The present study supports the use of the Pasieka Illness Questionnaire as a useful method to measure disease-specific symptoms in patients with 1° HPT and is applicable to Australian patients. It also shows, once again, that parathyroid surgery produces a significant improvement in the preoperative symptoms of 1° HPT.