[Intraoperative identification of parathyroid glands with methylene blue (author's transl)]

Identification of parathyroid glands during surgery for treatment of hyperparathyroidism remains difficult. The staining with methylene blue was first described by Dudley. Twenty-one patients were explored. Thirty to sixty minutes before surgical incision, an intravenous perfusion of methylene blue was started. The dose varied between 5 to 10 mg per kg. Thirty-seven enlarged glands were found of which 33 were obviously stained; 13 showed some color that could not be attributed with certainty to the dye; 1 adenome was not stained at all. In 89.2% of the cases the staining had the favorable effect of shortening the operation. Only 4 normal glands showed the blue stain. The affinity for methylene blue is thus mainly found in pathological parathyroid glands.