Parathyroid imaging: comparison of double-tracer (T1-201, Tc-99m) scintigraphy and high-resolution US

Parathyroid scintigraphy using a double-tracer (T1-201, Tc-99m) subtraction technique depicted 17 of 23 (74%) parathyroid adenomas in patients with and without previous neck operations. High-resolution (10-MHz) ultrasound (US) depicted 18 (78%) of these adenomas. Average tumor size depicted by US was 17 X 10 X 8 mm (excluding a giant adenoma) and 19 X 10 X 9 mm by scintigraphy. Alone, neither modality was particularly sensitive in the depiction of primary hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands, but combined techniques were more effective than the use of a single modality. With both US and T1-201 scintigraphy, only two of 23 cases of parathyroid adenoma in the neck were missed, and none of the eight cases of secondary hyperplasia were missed. In 11 patients who had previously undergone neck surgery, parathyroid tumors were identified in eight by either US or double-tracer scintigraphy. Preoperative parathyroid imaging with double-tracer scintigraphy and high-resolution US is suggested for patients with hyperparathyroidism, particularly in those patients who have had previous parathyroid surgery.