Objective: To determine the most effective preoperative localization techniques for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism to facilitate the surgical procedure, decrease patient morbidity, and decrease the number of repeat surgeries owing to inability to locate the abnormal parathyroid gland.
Methods: This was a retrospective study in which 53 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent preoperative sestamibi scanning and ultrasonography. If the two tests failed to agree on the precise location of the abnormal gland, a third imaging technique, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was used to confirm the precise location of the gland. Patients with secondary, tertiary, and recurrent hyperparathyroidism and patients with thyroid carcinoma were excluded from this study. Twenty males and 33 females were involved in the study. The mean age was 59.8 years (range 34-84 years). The preoperative results were compared with findings in surgery. A successful surgery was defined as parathyroid hormone and corrected calcium values in the normal range following the operative procedure.
Results: There was concurrence between ultrasound and sestamibi scanning in 70% (37 of 53) of the patients. When both agreed, the identified location of the abnormal parathyroid gland was correct 97% (36 of 37) of the time. The ultrasound and sestamibi scanning did not coincide in 30% of the patients (16 of 53). In this scenario, MRI was performed. When the MRI agreed with either of the two previous imaging techniques, the abnormal gland was accurately localized 100% of the time. In six cases (11%), there was no definitive agreement between all three tests that were performed.
Conclusion: The combination of preoperative ultrasonography and sestamibi scanning is effective in predicting the location of parathyroid adenomas in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. When both tests conflict, MRI is an effective tool to localize the abnormal glands. This study describes an algorithm for the preoperative localization of parathyroid gland abnormalities, in particular parathyroid adenomas. Second, it allows patients to undergo unilateral neck exploration, as opposed to bilateral neck exploration, where operative times, duration of hospitalization, and patient morbidity are potentially decreased.