Scientific paperIncidence and location of ectopic abnormal parathyroid glands
Section snippets
Methods
Epidemiologic data, laboratory indices, and location and weight of excised ectopic parathyroid glands were collected from a parathyroid database and a retrospective chart review of consecutive patients operated on for hyperparathyroidism from 1990 to 2005. The anatomic location of abnormal ectopic parathyroid glands was determined from operative reports and was compared to the results of preoperative 99mTc-sestamibi scintigraphy. The institutional review board approved the study.
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Results
Of the 231 patients operated on for hyperparathyroidism, 37 (16%) had an abnormal ectopic parathyroid gland, 34 (17%) of 195 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, 1 (6%) of 16 patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism, and 2 (10%) of 20 patients with tertiary hyperparathyroidism. Among the 37 patients, a bilateral neck exploration was performed in all patients except for 5 (14%) who were operated on for persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism. Thirty-four patients had a single (30)
Comments
It is imperative for the surgeon who is treating patients with hyperparathyroidism to have a thorough understanding of the embryological development and normal anatomy of the parathyroid glands and the potential sites for ectopic parathyroid tissue. Ectopic parathyroid adenomas have previously been reported to account for 4% to 10% of the pathology in patients with hyperparathyroidism [4], [5]. Our findings suggest that the incidence of ectopic parathyroid glands is higher than previously
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