ABSTRACT
Parathyroid adenoma is an uncommon disease in Korea. However, the frequency of this disease has slowly increased with routine measurement of serum calcium and increasing awareness by the public of hyperparathyroidism in recent years. We have experienced 4 cases of parathyroid adenoma during recent months and analyzed the cases to evaluate clinical characteristics and outcome of surgical treatment retrospectively. Four cases were diagnosed by persistent elevation of serum calcium and parathyroid hormone. They presented asymptomic clinical symptoms, osteoporosis/ osteodeficiency, or renal stone, gastrointestinal disturbance or neck mass. Parathyroid lesions were detected preoperatively by ultrasonography, thyroid scanning or neck computerized tomographic imaging in three of them. The tumor locations were left lower in two cases and right lower in two cases. All patients received proper surgical management and their histopathologic findings disclosed adenoma in all cases. These results would be a useful guideline for better diagnostic strategies, proper surgical management and follow-up study for recurrence in the primary hyperparathyroidism.