Mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenoma

Giant Ectopic Parathyroid Adenoma Arising in the Posterior Mediastinum. Report of Case and a Review

We present a case of a greatly enlarged giant ectopic parathyroid adenoma that weighed 43 grams, which was located in the posterior mediastinum of a 74-year-old man. The patient presented with generalized weakness and decreased level of consciousness. He was found to have elevated level of serum calcium (19.9 mg/dl), and a subsequent assay of parathyroid hormone (PTH) was greatly elevated (2234 pg/ml). We report the course of management and outcome of the patient and present a review of the literature on giant ectopic parathyroid adenomas in the posterior mediastinum.

Primary Hyperparathyroidism Secondary to Ectopic Parathyroid Adenoma: A Case Report

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) secondary to parathyroid gland adenoma is mildly symptomatic and thus often incidentally diagnosed. In this report, we present a case of a 46-year-old man who was treated for hypertension and other nonspecific complaints. An elevated level of blood calcium led to the suspicion of parathyroid adenoma. Technetium-99m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile (^99mTc-MIBI) planar and single-photon emission computed tomographic scintigraphy (SPECT/CT) confirmed the presence of a 10-mm-wide adenoma behind the sternal handle in the anterior mediastinum. The tumor was excised by Kocher's cervical access along with the right and left upper horns of the thymus gland and was histologically confirmed as being of parathyroid nature. However, blood parathyroid hormone and calcium remained persistently elevated. Repeated scintigraphy imaging revealed the presence of another retrosternal tracer focus at the level of Ludwig's angle. The patient was reoperated with the longitudinal sternotomy access, and thymus remnants, parathymic nodule, and fragments of mediastinal fat and right parietal pleura were removed. On the second postoperative day, parathyroid hormone and calcium reverted to normal values, but the patient remained hypertensive. Despite the successful surgical treatment, the patient remained hypertensive suggesting that the underlying reason was a familial hypertensive disease rather than parathyroid adenoma. In conclusion, this report underscores the need for diagnostic vigilance in the case of persisting hypercalcemia with hypertension and diagnostic and surgical difficulties in the management of ectopic PHPT secondary to parathyroid gland adenomas.

Persistent hyperparathyroidism due to mediastinal parathyroid adenoma treated with selective arterial embolization with embosphere: first case in the literature

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is the most common cause of hypercalcemia in the clinical setting and affects 0.3% of the population. Parathyroidectomy is the only definitive cure. Unfortunately, even in the most experienced hands, persistent primary hyperparathyroidism (P-PHPT) occurs in 4.7% of the patients. Ectopic adenomas are difficult to localize before and during operation and usually end up with P-PHPT. Herein, we presented a case with P-PHPT due to mediastinal parathyroid adenoma that was successfully ablated with selective arterial embolization. A 57-year-old female patient was admitted to our endocrinology clinic with persistent hypercalcemia 4 months after the initial surgery for PHPT that had been performed in another center. The patient did not accept the second operation, and serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) remained high despite medical treatment with cinacalcet and IV zoledronate. In the 99-m Tc-MIBI scintigraphy with SPECT, a 18 × 12-mm-sized lesion in the mediastinum at the paratracheal region was detected which was confirmed to be a possible parathyroid adenoma with fluorocholine PET and chest computed tomography (CT). The right bronchial artery that was detected to supply the mediastinal mass in CT angiography was selectively catheterized and embolized with embosphere. Right after the procedure, serum PTH and calcium levels were normalized and remained normal in 23 months of follow-up. Selective arterial embolization is a treatment option for ectopically located adenomas which are difficult to resect and in cases with certain comorbidities which constitute a contraindication for surgery.