Independent Review ArticleOutcomes of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy in pediatric patients with primary hyperparathyroidism owing to parathyroid adenoma: A single institution experience

BackgroundGuidelines for treatment of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in young patients recommend surgery. Outcomes of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) are well established in adults, but not in pediatric patients.ObjectiveThe objective of the study is to determine effectiveness of preoperative imaging and MIP aided by intraoperative PTH (ioPTH) measurement in children with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).Methods and designThis is a retrospective chart review of diagnostic and follow-up data up to 12 months post-MIP of patients with PHPT who underwent parathyroidectomy at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between January 1, 2009 and March 31, 2015.ResultsData were available for 16 of 17 patients age 8-17 years (11 females, 6 males): 2 had ectopic intrathymic adenomas while 14 had eutopic adenomas. Fifteen patients had ioPTH, including 14 who underwent MIP, defined as a 2 cm central neck incision. All patients with data at 6 months postparathyroidectomy (13/16) showed normal PTH and calcium. Ultrasound and sestamibi scans had a combined sensitivity of 87.5%.ConclusionsMIP is an appropriate alternative to standard neck exploration in pediatric patients with PHPT with a single parathyroid adenoma. ioPTH is especially useful to confirm cure and limit surgical exploration when imaging studies are negative. Sestamibi scans and ultrasound are complementary studies.