The role of ultrasonography in parathyroid surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the role of high-resolution ultrasonography in the preoperative evaluation of patients with hyperparathyroidism.


METHODS
Retrospective cohort.


METHODS
Tertiary care university hospital.


METHODS
Three hundred seventeen patients with hyperparathyroidism who underwent preoperative assessment with ultrasonography and/or sestamibi scan and surgical treatment between October 2003 and October 2006.


METHODS
Descriptive statistics of localization imaging studies and detection of concomitant thyroid disease in patients presenting with hyperparathyroidism.


RESULTS
Ultrasonography correctly localized the parathyroid adenoma(s) in 148 (69.4%) of the 229 patients with these lesions. Sestamibi scans correctly localized the parathyroid adenoma(s) in 133 (58.1%) of the 229 patients. The agreement between the 2 imaging procedures was moderate (kappa = 0.23; 95% confidence interval, 0.12-0.36). Of 317 patients with hyperparathyroidism, 96 (30.3%) had clinically significant concomitant thyroid disease requiring partial or total thyroidectomy. Histopathologic examination revealed benign thyroid disease in 80 (83.0%) of the 96 patients and thyroid carcinoma in 16 (16.6%).


CONCLUSIONS
Ultrasonography is a useful tool in the preoperative evaluation of patients with hyperparathyroidism both for localization of parathyroid adenomas and for the diagnosis of concomitant thyroid disease.
Boudreaux
Bridget A
BA
Division of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-0012, USA.
Magnuson
J Scott
JS
Asher
Scott A
SA
Desmond
Renee
R
Peters
Glenn E
GE
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010279:Parathyroid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery*; D016105:Parathyroidectomy / Q000379:methods*; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*