Author(s)

Jean-Baptiste Finel, Stéphanie Mucci, Frédéric Branger, Aurélien Venara, Laure Blanchard, Antoine Hamy

Department of Digestive and Endocrine Surgery, University Hospital, Angers, France.

Objectives: The parathyroid cysts (PCs) are rare and their diagnosis and therapeutic management are not clearly established. The aim of the study was to evaluate the characteristics of parathyroid cysts. Methods and Materials: Twenty-five patients with PC were included in this retrospective study. The PCs were discovered as follows: cervical mass (n = 18), screening for other pathologies (n = 7). Intracystic parathyroid hormone determination was performed in 6 cases. Results: Eight patients presented an hyperparathyroidism. Mean cyst size was 21.1 mm (ext 4 - 70 mm) by 19.8mm (5 - 45 mm). Twenty four cysts were cervical (resection by cervicotomy), and one was mediastinal (resection by sternotomy). In addition to the resection of the PC, 3 adenomas, 1 hyperplasia of the parathyroid glands, 14 benign thyroid diseases and 4 papillary carcinomas were recognized and treated during the cervicotomies. Conclusion: The diagnosis of PC is uncommon and must be based primarily on the study of the cyst liquid obtained by percutaneous puncture (intracystic parathyroid hormone measurement). True PCs are non functional.

Hyperparathyroidism; Cystic Parathyroid; Intact Parathyroid Hormone

J. Finel, S. Mucci, F. Branger, A. Venara, L. Blanchard and A. Hamy, "Diagnosis and Therapeutic Management of Parathyroid Cysts," Surgical Science, Vol. 3 No. 10, 2012, pp. 479-483. doi: 10.4236/ss.2012.310095.