National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 3



Other Names:
HHC3; Familial benign hypercalcemia, type 3; FBH3; HHC3; Familial benign hypercalcemia, type 3; FBH3; Hypercalcemia, familial benign, type 3; Hypercalcemia, familial benign, Oklahoma type; Familial benign hypercalcemia, Oklahoma variant; FBHOk; Hypocalciuric hypercalcemia, familial, type 3 See More
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Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH) type 3 is one of three recognized types of FHH, an inherited condition that causes abnormally high levels of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia). FHH also causes high levels of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and low levels of calcium in the urine (hypocalciuria). In most cases, FHH does not cause signs or symptoms.[1] However, some people with FHH do report symptoms. Signs and symptoms that may occur in some people with FHH type 3 include high magnesium in addition to calcium, general symptoms of hypercalcemia (such as weakness, fatigue, muscle pain, constipation, depression, confusion, and excessive thirst), lower bone mineral density, behavioral disorders, and learning disabilities.[1][2][3][4] FHH type 3 is caused by a mutation in the AP2S1 gene and inheritance is autosomal dominant.[1] Treatment is generally not necessary in people with no signs or symptoms of FHH. In severe cases however, removal of the parathyroid gland (parathyroidectomy) may be recommended.[2][3]
Last updated: 3/26/2018

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Depressivity
Depression
0000716
Fatigue
Tired
Tiredness
[ more ]
0012378
Headache
Headaches
0002315
Multiple small medullary renal cysts 0008659
Muscle weakness
Muscular weakness
0001324
Nephrolithiasis
Kidney stones
0000787
Peptic ulcer
Sore in the lining of gastrointestinal tract
0004398
Renal insufficiency
Renal failure
Renal failure in adulthood
[ more ]
0000083
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Bone pain 0002653
Chondrocalcinosis
Calcium deposits in joints
0000934
Hypercalcemia
High blood calcium levels
Increased calcium in blood
[ more ]
0003072
Hypermagnesemia
High blood magnesium levels
0002918
Hypocalciuria
Low urine calcium levels
0003127
Hypophosphatemia
Low blood phosphate level
0002148
Multiple lipomas
Multiple fatty lumps
0001012
Osteomalacia
Softening of the bones
0002749
Pancreatitis
Pancreatic inflammation
0001733
Parathormone-independent increased renal tubular calcium reabsorption 0003529
Primary hyperparathyroidism 0008200
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources


Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • The Centers for Mendelian Genomics program is working to discover the causes of rare genetic disorders. For more information about applying to the research study, please visit their website.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease


These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia type 3. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.


  1. Hovden S, Rejnmark L, Ladefoged SA, Nissen PH. AP2S1 and GNA11 mutations - not a common cause of familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. Eur J Endocrinol. February, 2017; 176(2):177-185. http://www.eje-online.org/content/176/2/177.long.
  2. Lienhardt-Roussie A. Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia. Orphanet. May 2014; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=EN&Expert=405.
  3. Afzal M, Kathuria P. Familial Hypocalciuric Hypercalcemia (FHH). StatPearls [Internet]. StatPearls Publishing; January 2018; https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK459190/.
  4. Szalat A, Shpitzen S, Tsur A et al. Stepwise CaSR, AP2S1, and GNA11 sequencing in patients with suspected familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia.. Endocrine. March, 2017; 55(3):741-747. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28176280.