title: Use of pre-operative Tc99m-Sestamibi scintigraphy and intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring to eliminate neck exploration in mediastinal parathyroid adenocarcinoma.
abstract: A 66-year-old white woman was found to have an elevated serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) on routine health evaluation. Physical examination was unremarkable as was ultrasonography of the neck. A sestamibi parathyroid scan revealed abnormal uptake in the anterior mediastinum. Computed tomography of the chest demonstrated an anterior mediastinal mass compatible with a parathyroid adenoma but no neck masses. The patient underwent mediastinoscopy that was converted to a median sternotomy to fully access the mass. The mass was completely resected with surrounding thymus gland. Frozen section confirmed that excised tissue was parathyroid gland in origin. An intraoperative PTH obtained 20 minutes after specimen removal showed a decrease of more than 50% from preoperative levels. The strategy for initial surgery for hyperparathyroidism when a sestamibi scan is "positive" in the mediastinum (only) is a point of some controversy. Traditional recommendations have been to "clear the neck" of abnormal parathyroid tissue before undertaking a more morbid sternotomy. Mediastinoscopy was attempted to remove the mediastinal lesion and to avoid a sternotomy. Preoperative Tc99m sestamibi scintigraphy, frozen section histology, and intraoperative PTH monitoring permitted the authors to conclude that neck exploration was unnecessary.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48912, USA.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Damadi
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Harkema
authors.forename: Rao
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kareti
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saxe
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000601:surgery*; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005629:Frozen Sections; D006801:Humans; D008481:Mediastinoscopy; D008482:Mediastinum / Q000601:surgery; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D009333:Neck / Q000601:surgery*; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery*; D016105:Parathyroidectomy; D011300:Preoperative Care; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D013249:Sternum / Q000601:surgery; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D017256:Technetium Tc 99m Sestamibi