Enlarged parathyroid glands discovered in normocalcemic patients during thyroid surgery

Abboud, Bassam; Sleilaty, Ghassan; Braidy, Carla; Ghorra, Claude; Abadjian, Gerard; Tohme, Cyril; Noun, Roger; Sarkis, Riad

doi:10.1016/j.amjsurg.2007.01.033

« Previous Next »The American Journal of Surgery
Volume 195, Issue 1 , Pages 30-33, January 2008

Enlarged parathyroid glands discovered in normocalcemic patients during thyroid surgery

Bassam Abboud, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
- Corresponding author. Tel.: 961-1-615400; fax: 961-1-615332.
Ghassan Sleilaty, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
Carla Braidy, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
Claude Ghorra, M.D.
- Department of Pathology, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
Gerard Abadjian, M.D.
- Department of Pathology, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
Cyril Tohme, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
Roger Noun, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon
Riad Sarkis, M.D.
- Department of General Surgery, Hotel-Dieu de France Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Saint-Joseph University, Beirut, Lebanon

Received 28 April 2007; received in revised form 15 July 2007

Abstract

Background

This is a retrospective study analyzing data of normocalcemic patients with enlarged parathyroid glands discovered during thyroid surgery and comparing it with data of patients operated on for proved primary hyperparathyroidism.

Methods

The records of patients with enlarged parathyroid glands (group 1) and those with primary hyperparathyroidism (group 2) were reviewed.

Results

There were 11 patients in group 1 and 123 patients in group 2. Enlarged parathyroid glands identified at thyroid surgery were lighter and developed in younger patients. Biochemistry and pathology revealed that these were less hyperfunctioning. Sex, number of diseased glands per patient, and cell type were not statistically different between the 2 groups.

Conclusions

Enlarged parathyroid glands discovered at the time of surgery are mildly hyperfunctioning. They may represent an early pathologic stage responsible for overt primary hyperparathyroidism. We recommend removal of enlarged parathyroid glands found during thyroid operation in normocalcemic patients as long as at least 1 normal parathyroid gland remains.

Keywords: Parathyroid, Incidentaloma, Thyroidectomy