Racial Disparities in Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Racial disparities in surgery are increasingly recognized. We evaluated the impact of race on presentation, preoperative evaluation, and surgical outcomes for patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT).

We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for PHPT at a single center (1997-2015). Patients were classified by self-identified race, as African-American or White. The primary outcome was disease severity at referral. The secondary outcome was completeness of preoperative evaluation. Operative success and surgical cure were evaluated.

A total of 2392 patients were included. The majority of patients (87.6%) were White. African-American patients had higher rates of comorbid disease as well as higher preoperative calcium (10.9 vs.10.8 mg/dl, p < 0.001) and PTH levels (122 vs. 97 pg/ml, p < 0.001). White patients were more likely to have history of bone loss documented by DXA and nephrolithiasis. African-American patients had lower rates of complete preoperative evaluation including DXA scan. Operatively, African-American patients had larger glands by size (1.7 vs. 1.5 cm, p < 0.001) and mass (573 vs. 364 mg, p < 0.001). We observed similar operative success (98.9 vs. 98.0%, p = 0.355) and cure rates (98.3 vs. 97.0%, p = 0.756).

At the time of surgical referral, African-American patients with PHPT have more biochemically severe disease and higher rates of incomplete evaluation. Operative success and cure rates are comparable.