Sporadic Primary Hyperparathyroidism

The impact of body mass index on the diagnostic and surgical outcomes in primary hyperparathyroidism

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of body mass index on the diagnostic and surgical outcomes in patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism.

METHODS

A total of 446 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism were divided into four groups according to their body mass index: normal weight (body mass index<25 kg/m2) (n=130), overweight (25≤body mass index<30 kg/m2) (n=166), obese (30≤body mass index<35 kg/m2) (n=112), and morbidly obese (body mass index≥35 kg/m2) (n=38). Perioperative findings were compared between the groups.

RESULTS

The preoperative median parathormone level in the morbidly obese group (204 pg/mL, min:max 72:1,178) was significantly lower than that in the normal-weight (246 pg/mL, min:max 60:4,262) (p=0.026) and obese (251 pg/mL, min:max 74:2,094) (p=0.012) groups. The osteoporosis rate in the normal-weight group (51%) was higher than that in the overweight (35.4%) (p=0.041) and morbidly obese (25%) (p=0.023) groups. The symptomatic hypocalcemia rate in the normal-weight group (10.2%) was significantly higher than that in the obese group (1.8%) (p=0.017).

CONCLUSION

Normal-weight patients with primary hyperparathyroidism have higher blood parathormone values, higher rates of osteoporosis, and postoperative symptomatic hypocalcemia compared to patients with higher body mass index. For this reason, the surgeon should consider the possibility of symptomatic hypocalcemia after undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism in normal-weight cases.

How has the diagnostic approach to parathyroid localization techniques evolved in the past decade? Insights from a single-center experience

The standardization of preoperative imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism is one of the current challenges of endocrine surgery. A correct localization of the hypersecretory gland by neck ultrasound and 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) scintigraphy are not sufficiently sensitive in some cases. In recent years, CT-4D, 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT, and radio-guided parathyroidectomy have come into common use. The aim of this study is to evaluate the performance of 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT after prior negative or discordant first-line imaging in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism undergoing parathyroid surgery. Monocentric observational study on patients affected by pHPT undergoing surgery from July 2009 to April 2024 at the Division of General Surgery, Cattinara Teaching Hospital of Trieste. Preoperative, intra-operative, and follow-up data were collected. The imaging methods used were neck ultrasound, 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) scintigraphy, and 18F-Fluorocholine PET/CT (since 2018). 172 patients were included. As first radiologic examination, neck ultrasound (US) was performed in 140 cases and 99mTc-sestamibi (MIBI) scintigraphy in 162. Ultrasound and/or scintigraphy imaging were sufficient for the identification of the gland in 127 patients (73.8%), while in 45 patients (26.2%), the localization was defined with other techniques. Particularly, three patients with negative or discordant first-line imaging underwent neck 4D-CT scan who was useful for parathyroid localization all cases (100%). Only one patient received a neck magnetic resonance (MRI) and resulted positive for preoperative localization. Starting in 2018, 29 out of 45 patients underwent 18F-FCH PET/CT yielding a positive result in 29 patients (100%). In other 16 cases (before the introduction of PET/CT in our preoperative imaging study), the preoperative localization was inconclusive and bilateral neck exploration (BNE) was necessary. The sample was homogeneous in terms of age, anthropometric characteristics, and preoperative biochemical parameters. Male/female ratio was 1:5.1. In the intra-operative site, in the cases of exclusive PET/CT positivity, in 28 cases (96.5%), a diagnostic agreement was confirmed, and the gland was macroscopically smaller or normal in size. The combination of ultrasound and MIBI scintigraphy remains the preferred imaging approach for preoperative studies of pHPT. If secondary imaging is required, 18F -FCH PET/CT stands out as the most advantageous option due to its ability to provide anatomical and functional specificity. FCH PET/CT resulted an effective imaging modality with the highest sensitivity of the available imaging techniques for localizing the hyperfunctioning parathyroid gland. Therefore, this method can be recommended in patients showing negative or inconclusive results in the conventional diagnostic imaging.

Secular trends in the incidence and treatment patterns of primary hyperparathyroidism in Korea: a nationwide cohort study

Data on epidemiology and secular trend in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in adults are relatively limited in Asian countries. This study aims to provide an overview of the secular trends in incidence, clinical characteristics, and treatment patterns of PHPT in South Korea. We used Korea's National Health Insurance Claim database (2005-2020) to identify newly diagnosed PHPT cases. Individuals with age below 19, fewer than 2 E21.0 diagnoses, fewer than 2 PTH measurements, secondary hyperparathyroidism, undergoing dialysis or kidney transplantation within a year of diagnosis, parathyroidectomy (PTX) within a year prior to the diagnosis code, and diagnosis of multiple endocrine neoplasm or parathyroid carcinoma were excluded from the analysis. A total of 6837 patients with PHPT (PTX, n = 2989; non-surgery, n = 3848) were compared with 1:10 age- and sex-matched controls (n = 68 370). The mean age of patients with PHPT was 56.0 years, with 77.4% being women. The annual incidence of PHPT increased from 0.23/100 000 persons in 2005 to 1.75 in 2020, with higher rate in women than in men. Compared with 2005-2010 (n = 675), the number of newly diagnosed PHPT cases increased up to 3.1-fold (n = 2119) in 2011-2015 and 6.0-fold (n = 4043) in 2016-2020 periods. Among all patients with PHPT, 43.7% of patients underwent PTX, with decrement of proportion of bilateral surgery among PTX group across time (11.9% in 2005-2010 to 8.9% in 2016-2020, P for trend .033). Among all patients with PHPT, non-surgery group increased from 41.6% in 2005-2010 to 58.0% in 2016-2020 (P for trend <.001). Patients with PHPT had higher odds of osteoporosis (odds ratio [OR] 7.03), renal stones (OR 10.55), chronic kidney diseases (OR 7.42), and cardiovascular, metabolic, and neurological conditions after adjustment for comorbidity index. In summary, the incidence of PHPT increased from 2005 to 2020 with predominance of non-surgical treatment, which calls for research focus on improving non-surgical management.

Brown Tumors: The Hidden Face of Primary and Renal Hyperparathyroidism Amid Real-Life Settings

Brown tumors, an exceptional bone complication of severe primary (PHP) or renal (secondary) hyperparathyroidism (RHP), are caused by long-standing, elevated parathormone (PTH)-induced osteoclast activation causing multinucleated giant cell conglomerates with hemosiderin deposits in addition to the local production of cytokines and growth factors. We aim to present an adult case series including two females displaying this complication as part of a multidisciplinary complex panel in high PTH-related ailments. The approach was different since they had distinct medical backgrounds and posed a wide area of challenges amid real-life settings, namely, a 38-year-old lady with PHP and long-term uncontrolled hypercalcemia (with a history of pregnancy-associated PHP, the removal of a cystic jaw tumor, as well as a family and personal positive diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease, probably a PHP-jaw tumor syndrome), as well as, a 26-year-old woman with congenital single kidney and chronic renal disease-associated RHP who was poorly controlled under dialysis and developed severe anemia and episodes of metabolic acidosis (including one presentation that required emergency hemodialysis and was complicated with convulsive seizures, followed by resuscitated respiratory arrest). Both subjects displayed a severe picture of PHP/RHP with PTH levels of >1000 pg/mL and >2000 pg/mL and elevated serum bone turnover markers. Additionally, they had multiple brown tumors at the level of the ribs and pelvis (asymptomatically) and the spine, skull, and pelvis (complicated with a spontaneous cervical fracture). As an endocrine approach, the control of the underlying parathyroid disease was provided via surgery in PHP (for the postparathyroidectomy hungry bone syndrome) via medical intervention (with vitamin D analogs) in RHP. Additionally, in this case, since the diagnosis was not clear, a multidisciplinary decision to perform a biopsy was taken (which proved inconclusive), and the resection of the skull tumor to confirm the histological traits. This series highlights the importance of addressing the entire multidisciplinary panel of co-morbidities for a better outcome in patients with PHP/RHP-related brown tumors. However, in the instance of real-life medicine, poor compliance and reduced adherence to recommendations might impair the overall health status. Thus, sometimes, a direct approach at the level of cystic lesion is taken into consideration; this stands for a narrow frame of decision, and it is a matter of personalized decision. As seen here, brown tumors represent the hidden face of PHP/RHP, primarily the complex and severe forms, and awareness is essential even in the modern era.

Delayed Diagnosis of Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Case Report

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is characterized by an elevation in serum calcium levels, sometimes leading to aggravated clinical conditions, namely nephrolithiasis, nephrocalcinosis, and/or fractures. A 55-year-old patient was admitted to the hospital with acute obstructive pyelonephritis in March 2021, having another episode one year later. Initial blood and urine analysis detected inflammatory markers, namely C-reactive protein, and the presence of leucocytes and blood in the urine. The renal computed tomography scan exhibited renal asymmetry, nephrocalcinosis, and multiple kidney stones. The patient was scheduled for a follow-up one year later to perform blood and urine analysis to uncover the cause of nephrocalcinosis, displaying high serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. The thyroid ultrasound revealed a parathyroid adenoma, which was removed through a right lower parathyroidectomy, improving the symptoms. The clinical condition described here is an atypical manifestation of this disease because PHPT is normally asymptomatic. In the present case study, nephrocalcinosis and nephrolithiasis were strong indicators of the underlying disease. However, the delay in the follow-up consultation resulted in complications for the patient, such as microabscesses in the kidneys, which could lead to reduced renal function in the future. Early detection of key aspects of the disease could avoid further complications and suffering for the patient. For example, the family physician's follow-up of the patient's condition could surpass the waiting time between consultations with different specialties, and promote early treatment.

[Case of clinically "aggressive" course of primary hyperparathyroidism, algorithm of differential diagnosis]

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a significant endocrine disease caused by increased production of parathyroid hormone (PTH) by altered parathyroid glands and violation of the mechanisms of regulation of serum calcium concentrations. These changes can lead to nephrolithiasis, osteoporosis, erosive and ulcerative lesions of the gastrointestinal tract, a number of less specific symptoms (nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, etc.). Etiologically, in more than 85% of cases, PHPT is a consequence of sporadic solitary adenoma or hyperplasia parathyroid glands, however, in 1-3% of cases, the cause is carcinoma of parathyroid glands , including as part of various genetic syndromes. The importance of timely examination for PHPT of patients with characteristic clinical manifestations of this disease and - with an aggressive course - alertness towards carcinomas of parathyroid glands was noted. At the same time, the severity of the clinical picture and even the presence of suspicious signs characteristic of hereditary forms of carcinomas of parathyroid glands are not always a consequence of the malignant process. We present a description of a young patient with a severe course of PHPT, multiple fractures and a voluminous tumor of the upper jaw, developed as a result of a typical adenoma of parathyroid glands. Additionally, the algorithm of pre- and postoperative differential diagnosis for such patients is highlighted.