A rare case of mediastinal functioning parathyroid adenoma removed successfully with thoracoscopy

We report here a rare case of primary hyperparathyroidism that was associated with an ectopic parathyroid adenoma located in the mediastinum. A 66-year-old woman suffering from primary hyperparathyroidism had been followed-up on an outpatient basis for over 10 years. She suffered from persistent urolithiasis and osteopenia due to hypercalcemia. After technetium-99-sestamibi (99mTc-MIBI) scintigraphy revealed an ectopic adenoma in the superior mediastinum, thoracoscopic resection of the tumor was performed. Subsequently, her serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) level decreased dramatically and her serum calcium concentration was restored to normal. Two years following surgery, her serum PTH and Ca levels remain stable.