Clinical characteristics of primary parathyroid adenoma and its relationship with coexisting papillary thyroid carcinoma: a clinical retrospective study

BACKGROUND: Parathyroid adenoma (PA) is a common but relatively poorly understood endocrine tumor. A significant number of PA patients also have papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). The clinicopathological characteristics of PA and its relationship with PTC need further study. METHODS: The clinical data of 99 PA patients were reviewed and the clinicopathologic features of PA were analyzed. PTC occurred in 22 PA patients. The clinicopathologic features of 22 patients with PA + PTC and 77 patients with PA alone were compared. According to age, gender and thyroid surgery methods, 22 PA + PTC patients were matched with 1,123 patients with PTC alone during the same period. The pathological characteristics of the two groups of patients were compared. All data analysis was performed using SPSS23.0, variables were compared by t-test, chi square test or Mann Whitney U-test as appropriate. RESULTS: Ninety-nine PA patients (21 males, 78 females) with a median age of 51 [10–80] years were included. The preoperative parathyroid hormone (PTH) (P=0.007) and preoperative blood calcium (P=0.036) of male patients were higher than those of female patients, and the proportion of asymptomatic patients (P=0.008) and postoperative PTH level (P=0.013) were lower. The preoperative PTH level (P=0.002), preoperative blood calcium level (P=0.004), preoperative alkaline phosphatase (ALP) level (P=0.018) and postoperative PTH levels (P=0.023) in PA + PTC group were lower than those in PA group. The asymptomatic rate was higher in PTC + PA group than that in PA group (P<0.001). There was no statistical difference between PA + PTC group and PTC group in multifocal tumor, capsule invasion, lymph node metastasis (P>0.05). The lymph node metastasis rate in PA + PTC group (9/215) was significantly lower than that in PTC group (37/337) (P=0.005). CONCLUSIONS: PA exhibited the following characteristics: occurred in all age groups; more common in women but more severe in men; more located in the lower pole. The coexistence of PTC and PA did not promote the progression of PA, nor did it increase the aggressiveness of PTC. Conversely, their co-existence may lead to early diagnosis of the disease. PA patients (22.2%) also have PTC, so surgeons should pay attention to thyroid disease to prevent the need for reoperation.