[Reoperations for persistent and recurrent hyperparathyroidism (author's transl)].

The results of 26 reexplorations in 24 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism are reported. In 20 patients the disease was classified as persistent, in 3 as recurrent. The diagnosis was confirmed by measurement of calcium and phosphate in serum and urine and by serum-PTH. All patients were symptomatic. Localisation of the tumors was possible by following the embryology and topographical anatomy of the parathyroids during surgery; localization was not as successful in the various preoperative investigations used. Postoperatively, no patient was hypercalcemic. The success rate was 100% for 21 patients, with a follow-up time of more than 6 months. Use of cryopreservation and autotransplantation of the endocrine tissue proved very advantageous; this technique was performed successfully in two of ten hypocalcemic patients and still may be considered in another three patients.