Parathyroid carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare tumor with an incidence of 0.5 to 4%. Preoperative differentiation from benign adenoma is very difficult. Several features, though nonspecific, have been used in differentiating parathyroid carcinoma from the adenoma. MATERIAL AND METHOD: A retrospective analysis during the period of nine years, four cases of parathyroid carcinoma were diagnosed on the basis of per-operative local invasion and on histological evidence of capsular invasion and vascular invasion. RESULT: We have different observations to make. Diagnosis of parathyroid carcinoma which was done on the basis of intra operative suspicion only. One patient died on 6th post operative day due to development of pancreatitis. At the follow-up of two years there was no local recurrence or distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: It is preferable to have a high index of suspicion for parathyroid carcinoma when these features are present than to miss the opportunity for surgical cure by failing to consider it in the differential diagnosis.