The aim of the study was intraoperative assessment of surgical treatment used for primary hyperparathyroidism (PH) basing on immediate histopathological findings and of parathormone (PTH) concentrations in blood serum, the latter being determined before and after removal of the affected parathyroid glands.Material and methods. The study group consisted of 110 patients: 85 women and 25 men aged 16-72 years (mean 49.3), treated surgically for PH or its recurrence. Each patient was operated together with bilateral neck exploration. The identified parathyroid glands were assessed. The operation was considered successful if the cause of PH could be confirmed by intraoperative histopathological examination, and PTH level was found lower than 50% of its preoperative value. Negative results of intraoperative tests were considered an indication for wider exploration of the neck or another full imaging diagnostics in order to decide about reoperation.Results. Parathyroid adenoma was detected in 85 (77.3%) patients, proliferation of the gland in 18 (16.4%) and parathyroid cancer in 7 (6.3%). Basing on intraoperative microscopic and immunochemical examinations, the surgical treatment was found successful in 107 (97.3%) patients. PTH concentration was found normal in 94 patients, and significantly lower in 13. The operation was assessed as unsuccessful in 3 (2.7%) patients (2x recurrence of parathyroid cancer, 1x proliferation of parathyroid glands). A non-significant PTH drop was noted in 1 patient, and PTH increase in 2. One patient died because of disseminated tumor disease, and 2 patients received another imaging diagnostics and reoperation with good result.Conclusions. 1. Positive result of intraoperative histopathological examination together with a significant drop in parathormone concentration in peripheral blood serum are essential for successful surgical treatment of PH. 2. Negative results of microscopic and immunochemical examinations are an indication for wider neck exploration. If further procedure is still unsuccessful, a more profound imaging diagnostics is necessary followed by reoperation.
The aim of the study was to evaluate the clinical, surgical and pathological prognostic factors of postoperative disease progression in parathyroid cancer patients.Material and methods. This is a retrospective study of 19 patients operated on between 1983 and 2007 for parathyroid cancer at the Department of General Surgery of the Silesian Medical University constituting 4.6% of the total 416 patients operated on during that time for primary hyperparathyroidism.Results. The study is based on a group of 7 (27%) men and 12 (63%) women aged 27 - 77 (av. 56). On admission, serum calcium levels exceeding 3.5 mmol/L were observed in 11 (58%) patients with parathyroid cancer and in 4 (1%) of the 397 patients with benign changes. Serum parathormone (PTH) levels higher than 450 pg/ml were found in 9 (47.4%) and 11 (2.8%) patients, respectively. Whenever parathyroid cancer was suspected, an en block resection of the parathyroid tumor including a wide margin of adjacent tissue was performed. Ipsilateral thyroid lobectomy was performed on 14 patients but in 5 cases total thyreoidectomy was required. 14 (73.7%) patients underwent either ipsilateral (11x) or bilateral (3x) lymphadenectomy. Within the group of 19 patients a total of 41 operations were required, including 4 operations in other medical centers. Three patients underwent adjuvant radiation therapy. The cumulative postoperative 5-, 10- and 15-year survival rate for the 19 parathyroid cancer patients was 95%, 82.5% and 62% respectively. Local and/or regional recurrences as well as remote metastases were found in 7 and 6 patients, respectively. Of the former group six patients are still alive after 3, 7, 9, 10, and - in two cases - 12 years (the 7th patient died 14 years after the first operation). Of the latter group three patients died of cancer dissemination 5, 7 and 8 years after the initial operation, but three others are still alive after 7, 10 and 14 years while still displaying the disease symptoms. Six patients, all of whom underwent one-stage resection of parathyroid glands and both ipsilateral thyroid lobectomy and lymphadenectomy, are still alive 8, 10, 11, 13, 14 and 21 years after with no evidence of the disease.Conclusions. 1. Parathyroid cancer should always be suspected while dealing with primary hyperparathyroidism in patients with significantly elevated serum calcium and PTH levels. 2. Ipsilateral lymphadenectomy is advocated for parathyroid cancer patients already during the initial operation. 3. In order to avoid parathyroid cancer relapse even many years after the surgery, periodic checks are recommended for the rest of the patients' lives.
Background: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is one of the most common endocrine disorders and defined as excessive secretion of parathormone. PHPT is a risk factor of several cardiovascular diseases, which could be caused by alterations in oxidant-antioxidant balance. Materials and methods: Blood serum collected from 52 consecutive patients with PHPT treated surgically constituted our study material, whereas 36 healthy volunteers were our control group. Oxidative stress was evaluated in both patients and control subjects by assessment of malondialdehyde (MDA) and lipid hydroperoxides (LHP). Antioxidants were evaluated by the measurement of superoxide dismutase (SOD), ceruloplasmin (CER), catalase (CAT), sulfhydryl (SH) groups, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px), glutathione transferase activity (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR). Moreover, total antioxidant capacity (TAC) and total oxidative status (TOS) were measured and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated. Results: OSI was increased in patients with PHPT when compared to normal controls, whereas TAC was lower in PHPT. The levels of CER, MnSOD, GR, SH groups and MDA were significantly decreased in PHPT. The levels of serum LHP, catalase and SOD were significantly higher in patients with PHPT than in healthy patients. The erythrocyte CAT activity and GST were significantly increased in patients after parathyroidectomy. The erythrocyte GR and GPx were up-regulated postoperatively, whereas SOD activity decreased. Conclusions: In PHPT there are several alterations in the balance between the production of reactive oxygen species and antioxidant defense system.
The aim of the study was to recapitulate the experience of the authors in the employment of two minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) techniques: video-assisted according to Miccoli (MIVAP) and open according to Udelsmann (OMIP) as the procedure of choice in primary hyperparathyroidism resulting from parathyroid adenomas.Material and methods. The investigation included 168 patients qualified for MIP between December 2002 and April 2007, diagnosed as primary hyperparathyroidism and presenting with a single parathyroid adenoma detected in at least one imaging examination (USG and/or 99m Tc-MIBI subtraction scintigraphy). In group A (n=100), the procedures were performed employing the MIVAP technique with intraoperative serum parathormon determinations (IOPTH), while in group B (n=68), the OMIP technique was used in combination with IOPTH. The analysis included surgical indications, the course of the procedure, the validity of intraoperative histopathology in identifying multiglandular disease, the validity of IOPTH in selection of an appropriate extent of neck exploration, and the surgical outcome.Results. Postoperative normocalcemia was achieved in 99% vs 100% of patients, respectively (A vs. B). In nine patients subjected to MIP, intraoperative IOPTH allowed for detection of multiglandular disease. IOPTH proved to be significantly more effective in identification of patients with multiglandular disease as compared to intraoperative examination of a single resected parathyroid gland, which had been demonstrated by imaging studies to be a single adenoma (the accuracy of 98.8% vs. 92.8%, respectively). The conversion rate was 5% and 5.8%, respectively (A vs B). A significantly higher percentage of visualized recurrent laryngeal nerves was noted in group A vs B (88% vs 66%, respectively), although the prevalence of transient recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy was similar in both groups (1% vs 2.9%). The investigators also observed a decrease in pain-associated complaints (by the mean value of 25%) and a decreased demand for analgesic drugs (by the mean value of 50%) on the first postoperative day. Satisfaction of the cosmetic effect was higher in the first postoperative month in group A vs B, although the difference became non-significant after 6 months.Conclusions. Both techniques, MIVAP, as well as OMIP, are highly effective in surgical treatment of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism caused by a single adenoma. However, the use of IOPTH is necessary when the results of preoperative localization examinations are not complementary in order to minimize the risk of inadvertently missing multiglandular disease. The advantage of MIVAP consists in easier identification of the recurrent laryngeal nerve, a decreased pain and decreased demand for analgesic drugs after the surgery, as well as a better cosmetic effect in the early postoperative period resulting from a smaller scar size.
At present, the majority of patients with sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) qualify to minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP). Nevertheless, in some patients, especially those with multiglandular parathyroid disease, achieving normocalcemia necessitates bilateral neck exploration (BNE).The aim of the study was evaluation of current indications for BNE and results obtained employing this method in an endocrine surgery referral center.Material and methods. A prospective analysis included 385 patients with pHPT qualified to parathyroidectomy (300 to MIP and 85 to BNE procedures) in the period between 12/2002 and 05/2008. Prior to the procedure, all the patients underwent preoperative imaging diagnostic studies (scintiscans of the parathyroids and ultrasound of the neck). Intraoperative parathormone assay was carried out in the course of all the operations. Indications for BNE and therapeutic results were evaluated.Results. The most common indication for BNE was lack of preoperative location of a parathyroid adenoma in imaging studies aiming either at lateralization or regionalization (49.4%), followed by concomitant thyroid pathology that required surgical treatment (23.5%), MEN 1 syndrome (12.9%), long-term lithium therapy (5.9%), refusal of the patient to grant informed consent to a minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (5.9%) and MEN 2A syndrome (2.4%). In the discussed group, 31 subtotal parathyroidectomies were performed, along with ten resections of two parathyroid adenomas and 44 resections of single parathyroid adenomas. Intraoperative iPTH assay affected the extent of parathyroid tissues resection in eight (9.4%) cases. One case of persistent and one case of recurrent hyperparathyroidism were noted in the follow-up of mean 37.4 ± 19.4 months postoperatively.Conclusions. In an endocrine surgery referral center, BNE is a procedure of choice in patients suspected of multiglandular parathyroid disease (MEN 1 and 2A, familial pHPT, long-term lithium therapy), in cases when a pathological parathyroid has not been located preoperatively and in patients which refuse their consent to MIP. Supplementing BNE with intraoperative iPTH assay allows for maintaining the highest quality of surgical treatment.
The aim of the study was to compare preoperative findings, serum levels of calcium and parathormone (PTH) and outcome of patients undergoing surgery for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) aged over 70 years with younger patients. Material and methods. Between January 1, 1996 and September 30, 2011 186 patients underwent surgery for pHPT. Patient data were collected from chart reviews and an electronically stored database. Groups were defined as patients aged 70 years or older and patients younger than 70 years. Outcome comparison included operation time, tumor size, pre- and postoperative serum levels of calcium and PTH and length of stay in hospital. Complications were defined as clinical and laboratory signs of hypocalcemia, persistent elevated serum calcium, temporary or persistent recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis, bleeding with need for reoperation, surgical site infection or need of tracheotomy. Results. Parathyroidectomy alone was performed in 39.2% of patients. In 60.8% partial or total thyroidectomy was conducted simultaneously. More older patients had history of stroke and/or suffered from diabetes. Preoperative serum calcium and PTH did not differ between groups, but older patients displayed higher postoperative serum calcium (p=0.01). No significant differences between the two groups were observed regarding duration of surgery, surgical success rates, postoperative complications and hospitalization time. Conclusions. Even though older patients had more risk factors, our data suggest that there was no difference in surgical management and outcome. Decision for surgical management of pHPT should be done regardless of age.
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