[Skeletal disease in primary hyperparathyroidism: X-ray, CT and MR imaging founding]

To analyze the X-ray, CT and MR imaging findings in skeletal disease with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), so as to discuss the clinic feature and differential diagnosis.

Thirty patients with PHPT were confirmed by surgery and pathological examination. In 15 patients the lesion were found in femur. There were 15 tibia, 12 fibula, and 14 iliac lesions. In three patients lesions were found in vertebrae. Three patients had lesions in humeri. In five patients lesions were found in rib. Twelve patients had lesions in phalanges. Thirty patients were studied preoperatively with radiographs, CT and MR imaging. The imaging findings were compared with the pathologic diagnosis and confirmed by double blind method.

Radiographs of the bone in 30 patients showed generalised osteopaenia. There were 20 (66.7%) cases with bone resorption, which include 12 (40.0%) cases with subperiosteal resorption, 11 (36.7%) cases with cortical bone resorption, and 10 (33.3%) cases with subchondral resorption. There were 19 (63.3%) cases with osteitis fibrosa cystica/brown tumor. There were 5 (16.7%) patients sustained a pathological fracture.

X-ray, CT and MR imaging founding reflect the imaging and pathology features in skeletal disease of PHPT. The iliac lesions could been found in common, and usually eroding sacroiliac joint. Skeletal disease of PHPT should be differentiated from osteolytic metastatic tumor of bone, osteodysplasia fibrosa, giant cell tumor of bone and aneurysmal bone cysts.