Related Experiment Videos
Giant mediastinal parathyroid adenoma with hypercalcemia
Raymond A Dieter1, Timothy O'Brien, Robert Carpenter
1Department of Medicine, Glen Ellyn Clinic, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137, USA.
International Surgery
|February 11, 2003
Summary
This case study highlights an uncommon, large mediastinal parathyroid adenoma in a patient with neurofibromatosis. Surgical removal led to rapid symptom improvement, demonstrating effective treatment for severe hypercalcemia.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Surgical Pathology
- Nephrology
Background:
- Parathyroid disease, though uncommon, frequently presents with hypercalcemia.
- Benign adenomas are the most common surgical parathyroid lesions, typically smaller than 2 cm and located in the neck.
Observation:
- A 50-year-old patient with familial neurofibromatosis presented with severe hypercalcemia (19 mg/dl), nephrocalcinosis, and renal failure.
- Imaging revealed a significantly large (5.7 x 4.5 x 2.9-cm) mediastinal parathyroid adenoma weighing 39.5 g upon resection.
Findings:
- The patient had a rare, large mediastinal parathyroid adenoma associated with neurofibromatosis.
- Postoperative assessment showed rapid improvement in the patient's symptomatology.
Implications:
- This case underscores the importance of considering parathyroid pathology in patients with unexplained hypercalcemia and renal complications.
- Large mediastinal parathyroid adenomas, while rare, are surgically manageable and can resolve severe clinical manifestations.