Hyperparathyroidism: Pathological Diagnosis and Association with Parathyroid Localization

BACKGROUND: The most common patohistological finding in primary hyperparathyroidism is adenoma of the parathyroid gland, followed by hyperplasia and the rarest is carcinoma. However, hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands (PTG) is most commonly found in secondary and tertiary hyperparathyroidism. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between the localization of the parathyroid glands and pathological diagnosis, as well as the prevalence of individual pathological diagnosis after surgery in patients with hyperparathyroidism. METHODS: Analysis of retrospective-prospective database of 79 patients who underwent parathyreoidectomy for hyperparathyroidism in the 7-year study period. Diagnostic methods were used to identify enlarged parathyroid glands as well as to determine their localization: ultrasound examination, scintigraphy and operative finding. Standard hematoxylin eosin staining was used for pathophysiological diagnosis. A correlation analysis between parathyroid gland localization and pathophysiological diagnosis was performed. RESULTS: The median age of the patients were 51 age (range 20-73) and 67,1% of the patients were female. In the total number of surgically removed parathyroid glands (182), the most common pathophysiological diagnosis was hyperplasia. Parathyroid adenoma was found in 21 cases. Other diagnoses (thyroid nodule / tissue, lymph node, thymus, cancer) were found in 11 cases, while a normal finding was found in 12 glands. Pathophysiological diagnosis of hyperplasia and adenoma were more common in the lower parathyroid glands. Using the chi-square test, no association was found between pathophysiological diagnosis and localization of enlarged parathyroid glands. CONCLUSION: The most common pathophysiological diagnosis in hyperparathyroidism was hyperplasia and was most commonly found in the inferior parathyroid glands. Adenoma as pathophysiological diagnosis is also most commonly found in the lower parathyroid glands, but without statistical significance.