Clinical features and hyperplastic patterns of parathyroid glands in hemodialysis patients with advanced secondary hyperparathyroidism refractory to maxacalcitol treatment and required parathyroidectomy.

We have previously suggested that when parathyroid glands progress to nodular hyperplasia, secondary hyperparathyroidism (2HPT) may be refractory to medical treatments, including treatment with Maxacalcitol (OCT). In the present study we evaluated the clinical features and hyperplastic patterns of parathyroid glands in patients who underwent parathyroidectomy (PTx) after being withdrawn from OCT. One hundred and eighty-seven advanced 2HPT patients who had been withdrawn from OCT and required PTx were enrolled. At the start of OCT treatment, the patients had a mean age of 55.3 years and had been receiving hemodialysis (HD) for a mean period of 149 months. At the start of OCT treatment and at PTx, the mean intact PTH (i-PTH) levels were 772.8 +/- 446.0 and 855.5 +/- 420.5 pg/mL, respectively. The main reasons for withdrawal of OCT treatment were persistently high PTH (n = 148), hypercalcemia (n = 79), hyperphosphatemia (n = 65), and progressive symptoms (n = 60). We classified the parathyroid glands by hyperplastic pattern into four categories: diffuse hyperplastic gland (D), early nodularity in diffuse hyperplastic gland (EN), nodular hyperplastic gland (N), and single nodular gland (SN). The mean total excised gland weight was 2592.6 mg. Out of a total of 706 glands, 118 were classified as D, 66 as EN, 436 as N, and 86 as SN. All patients had at least one nodular hyperplastic gland or single nodular gland. The mean number of nodular hyperplastic glands and/or single nodular glands was 2.9. All hemodialysis patients with advanced OCT-refractory 2HPT who underwent PTx had at least one nodular hyperplastic gland or single nodular gland.