Scintigraphy with 99mTc-MIBI and echography in the study of primitive hyperparathyroidism.
BACKGROUND
The authors analyse the value of the exams preoperative for the identification of the pathological parathyroid glands.


METHODS
The authors examined 58 patients affected by primitive hyperparathyroidism (HPTp) who had undergone surgical treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism at the Third Surgical Department of University "La Sapienza" of Rome, in 175 patients affected by primitive hyperparathyroidism observed between January 1970 and June 2000; all patients had undergone echotomography of the neck and 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy in the diagnostic phase. The histological valuation confirmed the diagnosis by I.P.


RESULTS
99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy demonstrated the pathological glands in 56 cases (96.6%), the echography in 57 cases (98.2%). The comparison of the two exams demonstrated the pathological glands in 100% of the cases. In 45 cases the scintigraphy localized the side (77.6%), and the echography in 41 cases (70.7%). In one case demonstrated I.P. persistent (1.7%) and never one case demonstrated relapsed.


CONCLUSIONS
The authors think that the scintigraphy together with the echography show high sensibility to identification the pathological glands. Neck surgical exploration can still give the side good when the diameter of the parathyroids is inferior to 5 mm.
Falvo
L
L
Division of General Surgery, Department of Surgical Sciences, University La Sapienza, Rome, Italy. laurafalvo@mclink.it
D'Andrea
V
V
D'Ercole
C
C
Grilli
P
P
Catania
A
A
Sorrenti
S
S
Berni
A
A
De Antoni
E
E
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D014463:Ultrasonography
D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi