Chronic Idiopathic Hypoparathyroidism Simulating Cardiac Asthma

CHRONIC idiopathic hypoparathyroidism is a rare disease that may be identified if the clinical features of chronic tetany are recognized and confirmed by appropriate chemical and electrocardiographic investigations. Diagnosis may be obscure in elderly and middle-aged persons, when coexistent disease deflects the observer's attention from the primary metabolic fault. The case reported below represents arteriosclerotic heart disease culminating in an attack of acute myocardial infarction, leading to right-bundle-branch block. As a result of this background, attacks of "asthma" and "fainting" were mistakenly attributed to conditions other than hypoparathyroidism for a two-year period. Because the electrocardiogram indicated the fixed abnormality due . . .