'Low dose' 99mTc-Sestamibi for radioguided surgery of primary hyperparathyroidism

Aim. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of tow dose Tc-99m-Sestamibi administration for radioguided parathyroid surgery in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Methods. Three hundred consecutive PHPT patients were studied between September, 1999 and July, 2003. Pre-operative work-up included Tc-99m-pertechnetate/Tc-99m-Sestamibi subtraction scintigraphy and high resolution ultrasonography (US). 37 MBq of Tc-99m-Sestamibi was injected i.v. in the operating! suite approximately 10 min prior to the beginning of the surgical procedure for intraoperative radiolocalization; quick parathyroid hormone (QPTH) assays were performed. Results. Two hundred and seven of the 211 patients selected for minimally-invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) were successfully treated for a solitary parathyroid adenoma (PA) through a 2-2.5 cm skin incision (mean operative time 35 min, mean hospital stay 1.2 days). In the 89 patients selected for traditional bilateral neck exploration (BNE), radioguided surgery was not as successful in the identification of the PA, especially in patients with Tc-99m-Sestamibi-avid thyroid nodules. Nevertheless, the combination of probe and QPTH measurement was very helpful. in patients with multigland disease. Conclusions. Low-dose Tc-99m-Sestamibi administered few minutes before surgery is sufficient for MIRP in patients with high likelihood of a solitary PA and without concomitant Tc-99m-Sestamibi-avid thyroid nodules. The combination of radioguided surgery and QPTH measurements is very useful in the early identification of unanticipated multigland disease. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.