Diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma by computed tomography

A diagnosis of cervical parathyroid adenoma was made at computed tomography (CT) in two patients not initially suspected of having primary hyperparathyroidism. In each case, the lesion appeared as an oval shaped mass indenting and deforming the posterior surface of one lobe of the thyroid gland. In one patient, the lesion was sharply contrasted by iodine-containing thyroid tissue, which appeared denser than the adenoma. The significance of these findings is discussed as well as some of the problems encountered in the CT diagnosis of parathyroid adenoma.