title: Technetium-99m sestamibi scintigraphy and helical CT together in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism: a prospective clinical study.
abstract: 44 consecutive patients with confirmed primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) undergoing surgery were prospectively enrolled in the study. There were 13 (29.5%) men and 31 (70.5%) women with an overall median age of 59 years (range 23-78 years). Prior to successful parathyroidectomy both (99)Tc(m)-sestamibi/(99)Tc(m)-pertechnetate subtraction scintigraphy (SS) and helical CT were performed, and the results of imaging studies were compared against intraoperative findings. Final histopathology showed 40 (90.9%) solitary parathyroid (PT) adenomata (median size 18 mm, range 8-40 mm), that were in an ectopic location in 13 (32.5%) patients. Moreover, 3 (6.8%) patients had multiglandular disease (one patient with two PT adenomata, two patients with PT hyperplasia), while one (2.3%) patient had a PT carcinoma. The sensitivity and positive predictive value were 86.0% and 97.4% for SS, 88.1% and 94.9% for CT, and 100% and 97.4% for the combination of SS and CT, respectively. Calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) serum levels, and the mean size of the removed PT glands of patients with false negative results were lower than that of those with true positive results, but the difference was not significant. Among patients with solitary PT tumours (N=41) the sensitivity was 88.1% and 90.3% for SS and CT-scan, respectively. In conclusion, our study confirms the usefulness of SS, which should be the initial test for patients undergoing parathyroidectomy. However, the strategy of performing two tests in each patient with primary HPT could be of limited utility when the initial SS is positive.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Surgery Unit, Department of Surgical and Gastoenterological Sciences, University of Padua School of Medicine, Via Giustiniani 2, 35128 Padua, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lumachi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tregnaghi
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zucchetta
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Marzola
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cecchin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marchesi
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fallo
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bui
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006961:Hyperparathyroidism / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016105:Parathyroidectomy / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi