Primary hyperparathyroidism in pregnancy: a case report highlighting uncommon complication / Hiperparatiroidismo primario en el embarazo: reporte de caso destacando una complicación infrecuente

Abstract Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is characterized by elevated levels of calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH). However, the interpretation of diagnostic tests, such as serum calcium and PTH levels, is complex in pregnant women. The aim of this report is to present a case of PHTP in a pregnant adolescent, with a special emphasis on an uncommon complication, as well as diagnostic and treatment strategies. A 17-year-old pregnant female presented with hyper emesis gravidarum and neurological symptoms, leading to the diagnosis of cerebral venous thrombosis. Further investigations revealed hypercalcemia and persistently elevated PTH levels, consistent with PHPT. After local ization studies, the patient underwent an emergency parathyroidectomy with a diagnosis of parathyroid ad enoma. During follow-up, intrauterine growth restric tion and severe preeclampsia developed, necessitating an emergency cesarean section. Both the mother and neonate had favorable outcomes. PHPT is an infrequent condition in the pregnant population, and its diagnosis can be challenging due to the overlap of symptoms with normal physiological changes during pregnancy. The occurrence of uncom mon complications, such as thrombotic phenomena, highlights the need for a comprehensive approach to ensure early detection and management. In most cases, parathyroidectomy is the treatment of choice.

Resumen El hiperparatiroidismo primario (HPTP) se caracteriza por niveles elevados de calcio y hormona paratiroidea (PTH). Sin embargo, la interpretación de pruebas diag nósticas, como los niveles de calcio sérico y PTH, es compleja en mujeres embarazadas. El objetivo de este re porte es presentar un caso de HPTP en una adolescente embarazada, con especial hincapié en una complicación infrecuente, así como en las estrategias diagnósticas y de tratamiento. Una mujer embarazada de 17 años presentó hiperé mesis gravídica y síntomas neurológicos, lo que llevó al diagnóstico de trombosis venosa cerebral. Posterio res investigaciones revelaron hipercalcemia y niveles persistentemente elevados de PTH, consistentes con HPTP. Tras la realización de estudios de localización, la paciente fue sometida a una paratiroidectomía de emergencia con diagnóstico de adenoma de paratiroi des. Durante el seguimiento, se desarrolló restricción del crecimiento intrauterino y preeclampsia grave, lo que resultó en la necesidad de realizar una cesárea de emergencia. Tanto la madre como el neonato evolucio naron favorablemente. El HPTP es una condición infrecuente en la población embarazada y su diagnóstico puede ser desafiante por la superposición de síntomas con los cambios fisiológicos normales del embarazo. La aparición de complicaciones infrecuentes, como fenómenos trombóticos, resalta la necesidad de un abordaje integral para garantizar la detección y el manejo temprano. En la mayoría de los casos, la paratiroidectomía es el tratamiento de elección.

Hypercalcemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism resistant to medical treatment.

Los pacientes con crisis hipecalcémica suelen estabilizarse con tratamiento médico y rara vez precisan tratamiento quirúrgico urgente. Se presenta el caso de una mujer con clínica inespecífica de dolor abdominal, diagnosticada tardíamente de crisis hipercalcémica por hiperparatiroidismo primario. El tratamiento médico y la diálisis peritoneal no fueron efectivos, por lo que precisó paratiroidectomía urgente con determinación intraoperatoria de hormona paratiroidea. La localización preoperatoria del adenoma fue concordante para gammagrafía y ecografía. La crisis hipercalcémica por hiperparatiroidismo primario sin respuesta al tratamiento médico precisa paratiroidectomía urgente. El diagnóstico de localización preoperatorio y la hormona paratiroidea intraoperatoria son indispensables para un tratamiento quirúrgico curativo.Patients with hypecalcemic crisis usually stabilize with medical treatment and rarely require urgent surgical treatment. Woman with a nonspecific clinic of abdominal pain, diagnosed late of hypercalcemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism. Medical treatment and peritoneal dialysis were not effective, requiring urgent parathyroidectomy with determination of intraoperative parathormone. The preoperative location of the adenoma was concordant for scintigraphy and ultrasound. Hypercalcemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism without response to medical treatment requires urgent parathyroidectomy. Preoperative adenoma location and intraoperative parathormone are essential for curative surgical treatment.

Hybrid-fusion SPECT/CT systems in parathyroid adenoma: Technological improvements and added clinical diagnostic value.

Nuclear medicine traditionally employs planar and single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging techniques to depict the biodistribution of radiotracers for the diagnostic investigation of a range of disorders of endocrine gland function. The usefulness of combining functional information with anatomy derived from computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and high resolution ultrasound (US), has long been appreciated, either using visual side-by-side correlation, or software-based co-registration. The emergence of hybrid SPECT/CT camera technology now allows the simultaneous acquisition of combined multi-modality imaging, with seamless fusion of 3D volume datasets. Thus, it is not surprising that there is growing literature describing the many advantages that contemporary SPECT/CT technology brings to radionuclide investigation of endocrine disorders, showing potential advantages for the pre-operative locating of the parathyroid adenoma using a minimally invasive surgical approach, especially in the presence of ectopic glands and in multiglandular disease. In conclusion, hybrid SPECT/CT imaging has become an essential tool to ensure the most accurate diagnostic in the management of patients with hyperparathyroidism.

Hiperparatiroidismo primario con tumor pardo mimetizando enfermedad ósea maligna

Objetivo: Los tumores pardos son una manifestación infrecuente del hiperparatiroidismo primario (HPTP). Se presenta la evaluación diagnóstica en una paciente con lesión ósea e imágenes osteolíticas extensas que confunden y orientan a tumor óseo metastásico. Caso clínico: Paciente femenina de 49 años de edad, con dolor lumbosacro irradiado a cresta ilíaca izquierda y limitación para la marcha de dos años de evolución, con episodios de pancreatitis aguda e hipertrigliceridemia; en el último episodio se le realiza TAC abdómino-pélvica, con hallazgo incidental de lesión sacro ilíaca izquierda, que sugiere tumor óseo; se realizan estudios de extensión en pesquisa de metástasis. La biopsia ósea muestra células gigantes con proliferación fibroblástica y formación de hueso reactivo, sugestivo de tumor de células gigantes, el USG tiroideo muestra imagen hipoecoica, hipervascularizada, USG renal con nefrolitiasis renal. Laboratorio: PTH 1250 pg/mL y otra en 986,7 pg/mL. Calcio 9,8 mg/mL, Fosfatasa alcalina 570 U/L, Marcadores tumorales negativos. La Rx de cráneo muestra imágenes líticas en región frontal en “sal y pimienta”. DXA: osteoporosis cortical, T-score antebrazo izquierdo -3,1. TAC de cadera: lesión osteolítica expansiva con irrupción de la cortical, de 7 x 3.5 cm en cresta ilíaca izquierda y múltiples imágenes osteolíticas sacroilíacas y vertebrales (L4-L5). El CT-PET con áreas múltiples de hipercaptación que sugieren infiltración ósea por enfermedad metastásica, sin captación en cuello. Se realiza Gammagrama 99mTc-MIBI que revela imagen sugestiva de adenoma de paratiroides en el lóbulo izquierdo. Se realiza extirpación del mismo. Conclusiones: Las lesiones óseas múltiples son enfocadas en el contexto metastásico y pueden confundir el diagnóstico de HPTP. Los tumores pardos son causa potencial de falsos positivos con CT/PET en la evaluación de pacientes con tumor primario desconocido o metástasis esqueléticas. Análisis básicos de metabolismo cálcico y gammagrama paratiroideo con 99mTc-MIBI, son herramientas diagnósticas en estos pacientes.

Objective: Brown tumors are an uncommon manifestation of Primary Hyperparathyroisim (PHPT). We provide diagnostic evaluation in a patient with bone lesion and extensive osteolytic images that suggesting metastatic bone tumor. Case report: Female patient 49 years old with lumbosacral pain radiating to the left iliac crest and walking limitation of two years of evolution with episodes of acute pancreatitis and hypertriglyceridemia; in the last episode, abdominal and pelvic CT images were performed, with incidental finding of left sacroiliac bone lesion, that suggests a bone tumor. Extension studies on screening for metastases were performed. Bone biopsy showed giant cells with fibroblastic proliferation and reactive bone formation, suggestive of giant cell tumors; thyroid USG showed hypoechoic image, hypervascularized; renal USG showed nephrolithiasis. Laboratory: PTH 1250 pg/mL and another at 986.7 pg/mL, calcium 9.8 mg/mL, alkaline phosphatase 570 U/L and tumor markers negatives. X ray of skull showed multiple lytic lesions in the frontal region, like “salt and pepper”. DXA: cortical osteoporosis, with a left forearm T-score of -3.1. Computed tomographic of pelvis showed expansive osteolytic lesion with cortical irruption of 7 cm x 3.5 cm in the left iliac crest and multiple osteolytic vertebral and sacroiliac images (L4-L5). The CT-PET showed multiple areas of increased uptake suggesting infiltration by metastatic bone disease, no neck pickup. A 99mTc-MIBI scintigraphy revealed an image suggestive of parathyroid adenoma in the left lobe, which is excised. Conclusion: Multiple bone lesions are focused as metastasis and may confuse the diagnosis of PHPT. Brown tumors are potential causes of false positives with CT / PET in the evaluation of patients with unknown primary tumor or skeletal metastases. Basic analysis of calcium metabolism and parathyroid scintigraphy 99mTc.MIBI are diagnostic tools in these patients.

Unusual ¹8F-FDG PET/CT finding of an oxyphil parathyroid adenoma in a patient with Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

Malignancy-associated hypercalcemia is a complication of advanced tumours that is associated to a poor prognosis. Thorough evaluation to establish its cause is essential because some patients may actually have undiagnosed primary hyperparathyroidism. We report a case of a patient affected by Hodgkin's Lymphoma and persistent hypercalcemia with an incidental (18)F-FDG PET/CT finding in the anterior neck region, not ascribable to malignancy, confirmed with (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintigraphy. It was removed by minimally invasive surgery. It was shown to be an oxyphil parathyroid adenoma localized in an unusual site.

Comparison of 99mTc-sestamibi and 11C-methionine PET/CT in the localization of parathyroid adenomas in primary hyperparathyroidism.

AIM: To evaluate the usefulness of (11)C-methionine PET/CT (MET) in the localization of the parathyroid adenomas and to compare the results with those obtained with the conventional technique in double-phase (99m)Tc-sestamibi scintigraphy (MIBI). We evaluated the optimal timing to acquire MET images. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A prospective study that included 14 patients (mean age: 65.5 ± 9.7 years) with primary hyperparathyroidism (PH) who underwent surgery was performed. Mean serum iPTH was 215.8 ± 108 pg/mL and serum calcium 10.8 ± 0.9 mg/dL. MIBI (planar and SPECT) was obtained 10 min and 2-3h after injection of 740 MBq (20 mCi) of (99m)Tc-sestamibi. MET was obtained 10 min and 40 min after injection of 740 MBq (20 mCi) of (11)C-methionine. MIBI and MET images were visually evaluated and compared. A score for 10 min and 40 min MET images from 0 (no abnormal uptake) to 3 (intense uptake) was assigned. RESULTS: MIBI and MET were positive and concordant in 11/14 patients and in 10 of them the parathyroid adenoma was correctly localized. In 3/14 MIBI was positive and MET negative (MIBI correctly localized the parathyroid adenoma in 2 of them). According to the timing of MET imaging acquisition, the 10 min and 40 min acquisition showed the same score in 10 patients, it was higher at 10 min acquisition in 3 and in 1 the parathyroid adenoma was only detected at 40 min acquisition. CONCLUSION: MIBI remains the technique of choice for the localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients with PH. MET may play a complementary role in selected patients. Delayed acquisition should be included in the MET protocol when the early acquisition is negative.