[Primary hyperparathyroidism. Apropos of 102 recent exploratory cervicotomies: diagnostic and clinical pitfalls]

The authors report on various diagnostic pitfalls on 102 patients having undergone exploratory cervicotomy for primary hyperparathyroidism. A false positive diagnostic error was made on 2% of the cases, bringing to 100 the number of patients with a confirmed diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism. False negative diagnosis was made on 4% of the patients: two late diagnoses leading to an acute toxic state and death postoperatively in both cases; two pure psychiatric variants leading to repetitive hospitalizations in psychiatry. Error in diagnosis because of a masking effect was made in 4% of the cases:--one association with a clear cell nephro--epithelioma--one association with a multiple myeloma--two associations with a benign monoclonal gammapathy. The absence of hypercalcemia, a diagnostic pitfall in the modern form of this disease was found in 7% of the cases. PTH hypersecretion which is virtually a constant finding in the normocalcemic form of the disease obviates in most cases the need of a bone biopsy and quantitative histomorphometric analysis. The association with another endocrinopathy was found in 12% of the cases (2 MEN I, 1 MEN II, 9 hyperthyroidism). Because of its high frequency in the aged (22% greater than 75 years) the diagnosis of this disease is difficult for its signs are mimicked as well by the aging process. The preoperative topographic diagnostic error is avoided since there doesn't seem to be any test which would preclude the normal surgical procedure of carefully exploring all 4 topographic sites of the parathyroid. Surgical errors can be numerous but minimized with the increasing experience of the operator. Histological errors are seen mainly in the normocalcemic variety where only electron microscopy can detect the typical signs of cellular hyperactivity.