Parathyroid scintigraphy revisited

Scintigraphy using 75Se-selenomethionine together with simultaneous thyroid imaging using 125I-iodine or 99Tcm-pertechnetate was carried out pre-operatively in 24 patients with primary hyperparathyroidism. Operative confirmation of scintigraphic results is available in 12 cases. The site of disease was correctly predicted in nine cases and in one further case an enlarged but histologically normal parathyroid was found at the predicted disease site. In two cases the scan was incorrect. The smallest lesion identified was a 0.6 cm adenoma. Scintigraphy provides an atraumatic, simple and inexpensive method. For pre-operative localisation of the site of disease in the majority of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.