title: Airway obstruction due to giant non-parathyroid hormone-producing parathyroid adenoma.
abstract: We present a case of a 39-year-old female patient with acute stridor due to a large tumor located at the level of the upper third of her thoracic esophagus. Parathyroid gland tumors are unusual in the differential diagnosis of mediastinal tumors. This tumor was removed via a thoracocervical approach, which offers multiple advantages when used for tumors in this location. The eventual diagnosis on histology was parathyroid adenoma. The patient had no clinical evidence of metabolic abnormalities and her pre- and postoperative calcium and postoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels were within normal limits. This case poses the interesting question of whether identification of elevated PTH levels is an absolute prerequisite for diagnosing parathyroid adenomas. It is an example of a difficult diagnostic and therapeutic problem.
authors.affiliation: Head and Neck Department, Royal Marsden Hospital, London, United Kingdom. ekiverniti@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Elina
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kiverniti
authors.forename: Rehan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kazi
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rhys-Evans
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nippah
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma; D000328:Adult; D000402:Airway Obstruction; D004947:Esophagus / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008479:Mediastinal Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D008495:Medical Oncology / Q000379:methods; D010281:Parathyroid Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D010282:Parathyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D010281:Parathyroid Hormone