This monograph on the parathyroid glands consists chiefly of a review of the literature. In addition to a historical account of surgery of the parathyroid glands, the author and her co-workers have reviewed the reports of 1,052 cases in the literature, consisting of studies of cadavers, as to the variations in number, location and blood supply of the parathyroid glands. Seventy per cent of the patients were found to have the normal number—four. Less than four were found in 28 per cent. Anomalies of location were observed in 1.5 per cent.
The review of calcium metabolism and surgical technic presents no new findings. The discussion of parathyroidectomy for scleroderma and thrombo-angiitis obliterans presents several interesting aspects. The author reports continued improvement after one year in a patient with scleroderma, a Brazilian woman who underwent parathyroidectomy.
The observations in the single case of scleroderma, according to the author, confirmed the findings