Primary Hyperparathyroidism Revealed by a Brown Tumor of the Maxilla: A Case Report

Introduction: Brown tumors are osteolytic lesions that rarely reveal hyperparathyroidism. They usually occur at the terminal stage of primary or secondary hyperparathyroidism. We report the case of a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism revealed by a jaw’s tumor, at the ENT and Maxillo-facial department of Mohamed VI University Hospital, Oujda, Morocco. Case report: A medical examination of A 48-year-old woman with a left nasal obstruction associated to an ipsilateral tumefaction progressively increasing in size. The CT scan showed an aggressive osteolytic process of the maxillary sinus. The diagnosis of the brown tumor was suspected on a biological assessment highlighting an hypercalcemia. Etiological research has revealed a parathyroid adenoma. The parathyroid hormone test: 322 pmol / L confirmed the diagnosis. The surgery consisted of a conservative lumpectomy with left parathyroidectomy. The anatomopathological result showed a benign giant cell tumor of the maxillary sinus. Conclusion: We recall through this observation, and view to the insidious side of brown tumors, two essential points: the difficulty of establishing the diagnosis of osteolytic processes of the maxillary sinus and the need to think about an hyperparathyroidism in front of a giant cell lesion.