The normal parathyroid and the borderline with early hyperplasia: a light microscopic study.

The light microscopical appearance of the normal parathyroid gland based on an autopsy study of 138 glands from 38 adults without evidence of hyperparathyroidism, is described. It differs from earlier descriptions in that we found less adipose tissue in the glands of many normal adults than had been reported. This observation is in keeping with several other recent reports.