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Ectopic parathyroid adenoma located inside the hypoglossal nerve
Dimitrios C Karvounaris1, Nikolaos Symeonidis, Apostolos Triantafyllou
1Ippokratio General Hospital, B' Propedeutical Surgical Dept, Thessaloniki, Greece.
Head & Neck
|August 20, 2009
Summary
This report details the first case of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma within the hypoglossal nerve. This rare finding highlights challenges in diagnosing and surgically managing unusual parathyroid gland locations.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Neurology
- Surgical Pathology
Background:
- Intraneural parathyroid adenomas are exceptionally rare entities.
- Only nine cases of intravagal adenomas have been documented previously.
Observation:
- A 62-year-old woman presented with a neck mass, hypercalcemia, and elevated parathormone levels.
- Imaging studies were inconclusive, but a sestamibi scan indicated abnormal uptake.
- Intraoperative findings revealed the lesion was within the hypoglossal nerve.
Findings:
- Histopathology confirmed an ectopic parathyroid adenoma within the hypoglossal nerve trunk.
- Postoperative biochemical markers normalized, but hypoglossal nerve paresis occurred.
Implications:
- This case underscores the significant variability in parathyroid gland anatomy.
- It highlights the diagnostic and surgical complexities associated with extranodal parathyroid adenomas.
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