Dynamic Parathyroid Computed Tomography (4DCT) Facilitates Reoperative Parathyroidectomy and Enables Cure of Missed Hyperplasia

Four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) is an emerging imaging modality in the evaluation of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). We assessed the role of 4DCT in patients presenting for reoperative parathyroidectomy.

A prospective database of patients with persistent or recurrent PHPT undergoing reoperative parathyroidectomy during the years 2006–2014 was analyzed. Patients treated before versus after the advent of 4DCT were compared for operative eligibility, operative success, operative time, and concordance of imaging results with surgical findings.

Ninety patients were included in the study (61 before 4DCT, 29 after 4DCT). The post-4DCT group had a higher rate of surgical concordance with imaging results (63 vs. 90 %, p < 0.01) and shorter operative time (114 vs. 76 min, p < 0.05). The operative success rate was not different (87 vs. 86 %). A similar pattern was observed in the subset of sestamibi-negative patients, with post-4DCT patients having a higher rate of surgical concordance (12 vs. 83 %, p < 0.0001) and shorter operative time (181 vs. 89 min, p < 0.05). Among patients ultimately found to have parathyroid hyperplasia, 4DCT correctly identified multiple enlarged glands in 80 % (4 of 5) and correctly lateralized one or more glands in 100 % (5 of 5) of cases, facilitating successful subtotal parathyroidectomy in the reoperative setting.

4DCT enables successful and efficient reoperative parathyroidectomy. These benefits extend to difficult cases, including sestamibi-negative patients and those with missed hyperplasia.