Introduction: Successful localization is mandatory for focused parathyroidectomy. If ultrasound and sestamibi scan are negative, bilateral neck exploration is necessary. We examined the contribution of complementary computed tomography (CT) scan to identify the affected parathyroid gland.
Methods: Between November 1999 and April 2014, 25 patients (20 females and 5 males; mean age 67 ± 11 years) with negative or dubious standard imaging (ultrasound and sestamibi scan) underwent CT scan prior to parathyroidectomy and were included in this study. Fifteen patients had had previous neck surgery for parathyroidectomy (n = 11) or thyroidectomy (n = 4). Thin-slice CT (n = 9) or four-dimensional (4D) CT imaging (n = 16) was used. Cure was defined as >50 % post-excision fall of intraoperatively measured parathyroid hormone or fall into the normal range, confirmed by normocalcaemia at least 6 months after surgery.
Results: Preoperative CT scan provided correct localization in 13 out of 25 patients (52 %) and was false positive once. Parathyroidectomy was performed by a focused approach in 11 of these 13 patients as well as in 1 patient guided by intraoperatively measured parathyroid hormone (ioPTH). Thirteen patients required bilateral neck exploration. The cure rate was 96 % (24/25 patients). One patient has persistent primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and one a recurrent disease. Six patients presented a multiglandular disease.
Conclusion: A CT scan identifies about half of abnormal parathyroid glands missed by conventional imaging and allows focused surgery in selected cases.