A 52-year-old female patient

develops symptoms of hypocalcemia (low calcium levels) such as cramps or

paresthesias (sensory disturbances – tingling) very soon after surgery where

her thyroid gland was removed. In addition to low calcium levels, elevated

blood phosphate levels dominate in the laboratory tests. This is a typical

picture of acutely developing hypoparathyroidism resulting from removal of all

parathyroid glands during a previous operation. Their removal leads to

parathyroid hormone deficiency. How do we call the parathyroid cells that

produce this hormone?