Four-dimensional computed tomography: Clinical impact for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

In recent years, four-dimensional computed tomography (4DCT) has emerged as a new localization study for primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT).

OBJECTIVE:

We aimed to assess the added value of 4DCT in our institution in the first 4 years of use.

METHODS:

A retrospective cohort study was conducted from February 2004 to June 2015. Since 2011, patients over 50 years of age without concordant sestamibi-SPECT (SeS) and ultrasound (US) findings underwent 4DCT. Imaging results, surgical findings, histopathology, and postoperative biochemistry were collected.

RESULTS:

A total of 536 parathyroid operations in 510 patients were performed during the study period. The overall cure rate was 99.2% after reoperation in some patients, and the overall sensitivity for SeS was 76.0%, and 74.8% for US. Since 2011, 100 patients without concordant SeS/US findings have undergone 4DCT, with a sensitivity of 72.9%. This is in comparison to the sensitivities for SeS (48.3%) and US (52.3%). 4DCT was more sensitive in patients with persistent/recurrent disease (60.0% compared with SeS 43.8% and US 36.4%) and patients with multigland disease (67.4% compared with SeS 40.9% and US 42.1%). Comparison between outcomes in the pre- versus post-CT era demonstrated no difference in the initial cure rate (95.4 vs. 95.9%, p = 0.85) or the rate of minimally invasive parathyroidectomies (74.5 vs. 79.9%, p = 0.22).

CONCLUSION:

Parathyroid 4DCT can aid surgical planning in cases without concordant SeS/US findings; however, the introduction of 4DCT as a second-line test did not change our overall cure rate or rate of minimally invasive parathyroidectomy. The role of 4DCT as the primary localization study for pHPT merits further investigation.