Ultrasound-guided microwave ablation in the treatment of recurrent primary hyperparathyroidism in a patient with MEN1: a case report

Background

Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) is an inherited endocrine syndrome caused by the mutation in the tumor suppressor gene MEN1. The recurrence rate of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in patients with MEN1 after parathyroidectomy remains high, and the management of recurrent hyperparathyroidism is still challenging.

Case presentation

We reported a 44-year-old woman with MEN1 combined with PHPT who was diagnosed through genetic screening of the patient and her family members. After parathyroidectomy to remove one parathyroid gland, the patient suffered from persistent high levels of serum calcium and parathyroid hormone, which returned to normal at up to 8 months after ultrasound-guided microwave ablation (MWA) for bilateral parathyroid glands, suggesting an acceptable short-term prognosis.

Conclusion

Ultrasound-guided MWA for parathyroid nodules may be an effective therapeutic strategy for recurrent PHPT in MEN1 patients.

Case of coronary vasospasm caused by hypocalcaemia post parathyroidectomy mimicking ST-elevation myocardial infarction

A man in his 30s with primary hyperparathyroidism underwent an elective four-gland parathyroid exploration with intraoperative parathyroid hormone monitoring. On the fourth postoperative day (POD), the patient presented to the emergency department with severe symptomatic hypocalcaemia. ECG findings were in keeping with inferior-posterior ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI); however, he was asymptomatic with no chest pain. Biochemistry revealed elevated serial troponin levels. Coronary angiogram and transthoracic echocardiogram were normal, suggesting coronary vasospasm, mimicking STEMI on ECG because of severe hypocalcaemia post parathyroidectomy. This is an uncommon and unreported complication of parathyroid surgery. The patient was successfully managed with intravenous calcium and discharged on oral calcium replacement on the tenth POD.

Single gland excision for MEN1-associated primary hyperparathyroidism

IMPORTANCE

Guidelines advocate subtotal parathyroidectomy (SPTX) or total parathyroidectomy with autotransplantation (TPTX) with bilateral cervical thymectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) associated with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). However, both procedures are associated with a significant risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the current study was to compare long-term results of either single gland excision (SGE, 1-2 glands), SPTX and TPTX for the treatment of MEN1-associated pHPT.

DESIGN AND SETTING

Data of genetically confirmed MEN1 patients who underwent surgery for pHPT between 1987 and 2017 were retrieved from a prospective database and were retrospectively analysed.

RESULTS

Eighty-nine MEN1 patients underwent either TPTX (n = 38, 42.7%), SPTX (n = 23, 25.8%) or SGE (n = 28, 31.5%). The rate of disease persistence after initial surgery was 2.6%, 0% and 14.2% in the TPTX, SPTX and SGE groups, respectively. After median follow-up of 112 (range 7-411) months, the rate of recurrent pHPT was significantly higher in the SGE group (n = 19, 21.3%) compared with the TPTX (n = 4, 4.4%, P = .001) and the SPTX (n = 9, 10.1%, P = .03) groups. Analysis of the recurrence-free time among the surgical groups revealed a significant difference (P = .036). The median time to recurrence was significantly shorter after SGE (101, range 3-301 months) than after SPTX (139, range 28-278 months, P = .018) and TPTX (204, range 75-396 months, P = .049). Twelve (32%) patients who underwent TPTX developed permanent hypoparathyroidism compared with only 4 (17%, P = .06) in the SPTX and 0 in the SGE group (P = .001).

CONCLUSION

Given the high rate of postoperative permanent hypoparathyroidism after TPTX and SPTX, SGE is a valid option for the treatment of MEN1-associated pHPT.

Total and Subtotal Parathyroidectomy in Young Patients With Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1-Related Primary Hyperparathyroidism: Potential Post-surgical Benefits and Complications

Background: The choice of surgical treatment for patients with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia type 1 (MEN1)-related primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) remains controversial and it has not been specifically addressed in young patients. Methods: This is a retrospective case series study. The study includes the surgical data and the follow-up of 38 patients younger than 30 years of age, all diagnosed with MEN1, collected and followed-up between 1991 and 2017 at the Regional Referral Center for Inherited Endocrine Tumors of the Tuscany Region, and operated by parathyroidectomy. Genetic and/or clinical MEN1 diagnosis was made before surgery in all patients. Subtotal (9/38 patients) or total parathyroidectomy with auto-transplantation (28/38 patients) were performed in all patients but one, in whom a single mediastinal adenoma was excised from the aorto-pulmonary window. All patients but one, who was operated in 2017, had a post-operatory follow-up of at least 12 months. Results: Total parathyroidectomy (TPTX), with auto-transplantation, was the most frequently adopted operation both as primary (20/38 patients) and secondary (8/38 patients) surgery, followed by subtotal parathyroidectomy (SPTX; 9/38 patients) and limited parathyroidectomy (1/38 patient). At follow-up, lasting a mean of 11.8 ± 6.6 years (range 0-23 years), no persistent PHPT was observed. PHPT recurred in 4/28 TPTX (14%) and in 2/9 SPTX (22%). Permanent hypoparathyroidism showed no statistically significant difference between the procedures (2/9 in SPTX and 5/28 in TPTX). Conclusions: Data from this retrospective study showed the efficacy of TPTX for the treatment of MEN1-PHPT, also in adolescent and young patients, showing, in our series, no risk of PHPT permanence and a longer disease-free period and, subsequently, the possibility to postpone re-intervention with respect to both limited PTX and SPTX. The risk of permanent hypoparathyroidism in TPTX was comparable to STPX, and could be mitigated over the years.

Limited Parathyroidectomy in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia Type 1-Associated Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Setup for Failure

BACKGROUND

Recently, some surgeons have suggested that minimally invasive parathyroidectomy guided by preoperative localizing studies of patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1)-associated primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) provides an acceptable outcome while minimizing the risk of hypoparathyroidism. This study aimed to evaluate the outcome for MEN1 patients who underwent limited parathyroidectomy compared with subtotal parathyroidectomy.

METHODS

The authors performed a retrospective analysis of 99 patients with MEN1-associated pHPT who underwent at least one parathyroid operation at their institution. Preoperative imaging studies, intraoperative findings, and clinical outcomes for patients were compared.

RESULTS

A total of 99 patients underwent 146 operations. Persistent pHPT was significantly higher in patients whose initial operations involved removal of 1 or 2 glands (69 %) or 2.5 to 3 glands (20 %) compared with those who had 3.5 or more glands removed (6 %) (P < 0.01). Persistent pHPT occurred in 5 % of all operations that cumulatively removed 3.5 or more parathyroid glands compared with 40 % of operations that removed 3 or fewer glands (P < 0.01). The single largest parathyroid gland was correctly identified preoperatively in 69 % (22/32) of the patients. However, preoperative localizing studies missed enlarged contralateral parathyroid glands in 86 % (19/22) of these patients. Preoperative localizing studies missed the largest contralateral parathyroid gland in 16 % (5/32) of the patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Limited parathyroidectomy in MEN1 is associated with a high failure rate and should not be performed. Preoperative identification of a single enlarged parathyroid gland in MEN1 is not reliable enough to justify unilateral neck exploration because additional enlarged contralateral parathyroid glands are frequently missed.