Parathyroid imaging: its current status and future role.

The management of autonomous (primary or tertiary) hyperparathyroidism is controversial for two important reasons: (1) Diagnosis of primary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism (as distinct from reactive or secondary hyperparathyroidism) has been revolutionized in the past 20 years as a result of routine inclusion of serum calcium concentration assays in serum multiautomated analysis, now obtained routinely for both hospitalized as well as ambulatory patients. The prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism in the general population has appeared to rise as a consequence of this assay and the enhanced detection of this disease. This situation has confused the management of hyperparathyroidism since most patients now present with asymptomatic disease, and the need for surgical treatment is controversial in asymptomatic individuals. (2) Primary hyperparathyroidism usually is caused by hypersecretion of parathyroid hormone by an autonomously functioning parathyroid adenoma. In a small percentage of cases, multigland hyperplasia is present. In experienced hands, surgical removal of an adenoma within the thyroid bed cures the hyperparathyroidism 90% to 95% of the time, without performance of a preoperative procedure to localize the adenoma. Approximately 10% of parathyroid tissue is ectopic in location, however. Furthermore, approximately two thirds of "missed" adenomas are within the thyroid bed. Reexploration in the event of a failed operation therefore is not an uncommon occurrence. Parathyroid localization procedures clearly are indicated in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism who have evidence of persistent disease after a failed attempt at surgical cure. In patients first presenting with primary hyperparathyroidism, the need for a localization procedure is less clear, since surgery appears to be successful much of the time without it. Regardless of the nature of the above controversies, surgery for autonomous hyperparathyroidism continues, and localization procedures become more popular. Preoperative localization procedures such as angiography and venography with venous sampling for parathormone are cumbersome and invasive. Noninvasive tests to localize the parathyroid glands have emerged in the past 10 years, including dual tracer radionuclide scintigraphy with 201-thallous chloride and 99m-technetium pertechnetate, high-resolution computer tomography, and fine parts ultrasonography. Dual tracer scintigraphy with thallium and technetium is reported to have a localization sensitivity of 70%-90%. False-negative studies occur primarily in patients with small adenomatous or hyperplastic glands.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)