Surgery for sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism in the elderly

Retrospective analysis has been performed on 108 consecutive patients operated for primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) at 75 to 85 years of age (mean 79 years). The preoperative serum calcium value averaged 2.99 mM, and six patients had hypercalcemic crisis. Psychic disturbances were seen in 60 patients (56%), 40% of whom demonstrated dementia. Skeletal and muscular complaints were registered in 29% and 19%, respectively, and only 6% were overtly asymptomatic. Cardiovascular diseases were presented by 69% of the patients, 13% had diabetes mellitus, and 26% were institutionalized prior to surgery. Bilateral neck exploration disclosed a single adenoma in 69%, which was of the oxyphil cell type in 13%, and water-clear (n = 3) or chief cell hyperplasia in 27%. The total glandular weight averaged 1085 mg. Altogether 72 patients operated on after 1980 demonstrated a perioperative (30-day) mortality of 1.4%; the corresponding morbidity of 8.7% mainly included infections as well as a vocal cord paralysis in one patient and two incisional hematomas. Analysis for mean 3.1 years postoperatively displayed reversal of hypercalcemia in 95% of the patients; 2.8% of those operated after 1980 had persistent disease. Symptoms seemed to be alleviated in 62%, with a similar rate attained in patients with dementia. Altogether 60 patients died from mainly cardiovascular diseases mean 4.2 years after the operation. Those succumbing the first postoperative year (n = 21) showed overrepresentation of cardiac diseases and diabetes mellitus. The results demonstrate prevalent psychic disturbances, oxyphil adenomas, and multiglandular parathyroid disease in elderly patients with primary HPT and favor rather liberal application of parathyroid surgery among these individuals.