Incidentally detected retropharyngeal cystic parathyroid adenoma in trauma imaging: A diagnostic challenge

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is defined as excessive secretion of parathyroid hormone (PTH) originating from the parathyroid gland. The most common cause is a single parathyroid adenoma which is typically solid. Cystic parathyroid adenomas (CPA) are the cause of about 1–2% of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism. It is known that cystic parathyroid adenomas are a result of degeneration of an existing parathyroid adenoma. SestaMIBI is an imaging study based on uptake of radioactive technetium99 and used to localize parathyroid adenomas. We describe an unusual case of severe hypercalcemia secondary to 99mTc sestaMIBI negative atypical parathyroid cystic adenoma. A 56-year-old male presented to our facility with nausea and vomiting. His past medical history included hypertension and hepatitis C with no history of fractures or kidney disease. Physical examination was normal. Upon admission the patient was afebrile with blood pressure of 170/120 mmHg and heart rate of 62 bpm. Chemistry showed Calcium of 14.5 mg/dL (8.6–10.2mg/dL), phosphorus 2.2 (2.7–4.5) mh/dL, magnesium 1.8 (1.7–2.6)mg/dL, intact PTH of 375 (15–65) pg/mL, PTH-related peptide <2.0 pmol/L(<2 pmol/L), 25-OH vitamin D of 19 ng/ml (30–80), Creatinine 1.22 (0.7–1.2)mg/dL, alkaline phosphatase 95 (40–129) units/L. He was started on aggressive hydration, calcitonin 4 units/kg, 4 mg of IV Zolendroninc acid. Neck sonogram revealed a large, complex, predominantly anechoic lesion with solid vascular components and thick internal septations in the inferior and medial aspect of the right thyroid lobe measuring 3 x 2 x 5.5 cm. Findings were confirmed with CT of the neck. Since Sestamibi scan (planar and SPECT/CT) did not show uptake in parathyroid glands, the cyst was thought to be of thyroid origin. Fine needle aspiration was not able to detect cellular material, but PTH was >100 pg/ml on the FNA sample. Otolaryngology service was consulted for parathyroidectomy. During the surgical treatment, the right upper parathyroid gland was removed with no changes in serum PTH. Next, the cystic lesion was removed with normalization of serum PTH (from 218 pg/ml to 35.2 pg/ml respectively). Intraoperative frozen section analysis was read as a cystic parathyroid adenoma. The final pathology report revealed cystic parathyroid tissue favoring parathyroid adenoma with focal atypia. Hypercalcemia resolved. Conclusions: Atypical cystic parathyroid adenomas are a rare cause of PHPT. 90% of parathyroid cysts are nonfunctional. Above mention is a case of a patient presenting with hypercalcemic crisis secondary to cystic parathyroid adenoma, which posed a diagnostic challenge as both neck ultrasound and 99mTc sestaMIBI scan were inconclusive. These findings should trigger suspicion for functional parathyroid lesions. Cystic components should be evaluated for PTH levels and if significantly elevated should be treated as a parathyroid adenoma.

Objective Cystic parathyroid adenoma is a rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism, but its preoperative diagnosis and management remain inconclusive. Method We retrospectively identified patients with cystic parathyroid adenomas who underwent surgery at Peking Union Medical College Hospital. Results Patients with cystic parathyroid adenomas had higher serum intact parathyroid hormone and calcium levels, larger maximum tumor diameter, and lower serum inorganic phosphorus level than did those with solid adenomas. Patients with cystic adenomas were predominantly male, and hypercalcemic crisis and atypical adenomas were common. The accuracy of preoperative localization methodologies was lower in patients with cystic adenomas than in patients with solid adenomas. US-guided fine-needle aspiration was performed in 11 patients. In all patients, the iPTH level in cystic fluid was much higher than that in serum. No sign of recurrence was observed after a median follow-up of 39 months. Conclusions Cystic parathyroid adenomas may not be as rare as previously reported. FNA may be a safe and feasible localization methodology for patients with inconclusive preoperative localization methodologies. Close follow-up is necessary for patients with cystic parathyroid adenomas, which account for a substantial proportion of atypical adenoma cases.

An uncommon cause of primary hyperparathyroidism is a cystic parathyroid adenoma. This paper describes two patients with hypercalcemia and right knee disease. Their serum calcium concentration was high, phosphorus concentration was low, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentration was high. Ultrasound and computed tomography scans of the neck indicated a cystic mass near the thyroid. Parathyroid scintigraphy showed no focal uptake in one patient and low tracer concentration in the cystic mass in the other patient. Following resection of the cystic masses, both were pathologically confirmed to be a cystic parathyroid adenoma with predominantly cystic degeneration. The calcium and PTH concentrations gradually decreased to the reference range. Both patients were stable at their last follow-up. The diagnosis of a functional cystic parathyroid adenoma is highly challenging because of the different clinical manifestations and negative result on parathyroid tracer scintigraphy. For patients with high serum calcium and PTH concentrations and a cystic mass in the neck, resection of the mass and subsequent postoperative pathological diagnosis is necessary even if the clinical diagnosis of a parathyroid adenoma cannot be confirmed preoperatively. Decreases in the PTH and serum calcium concentrations indicate successful resection of a functional parathyroid adenoma.

INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND Giant cystic parathyroid adenomas are an uncommon cause of primary hyperparathyroidism and may result in severe hypercalcemia. Due to their cystic nature, they can evade detection by conventional imaging such as Sestamibi scans, posing diagnostic challenges. We report a case of a 60-year-old female with a giant cystic parathyroid adenoma, where conventional imaging failed to identify the lesion. CASE A 60-year-old female with hypertension and stage 4 chronic kidney disease presented with a three-month history of diffuse goitre and asymptomatic hypercalcemia (corrected calcium 3.11–3.77 mmol/L). Investigations showed elevated iPTH (160.3 pmol/L), low phosphate (0.75 mmol/L), low vitamin D (33.25 nmol/L), with normal thyroid function. Neck ultrasound detected a benign thyroid nodule (TIRADS 1), but no parathyroid lesion. A Sestamibi scan was negative for hyperfunctioning or ectopic parathyroid tissue and showed only cystic changes in the thyroid. Due to persistent hypercalcemia, CT imaging was performed and revealed a large cystic mass on the left neck (4.2 × 6.2 × 10.8 cm), suggestive of a cystic parathyroid adenoma. The patient had osteopenia and required multiple pamidronate infusions. She underwent a left parathyroidectomy, during which a large cystic parathyroid tumor was removed. Postoperative calcium levels normalized, and histopathology confirmed cystic parathyroid adenoma. Sestamibi scans may not detect cystic parathyroid adenomas due to poor radiotracer uptake in cystic tissue. CT imaging played a key role in identifying the lesion in this case. Awareness of false-negative imaging results is essential to avoid delayed treatment and complications. CONCLUSION Negative Sestamibi scans do not exclude parathyroid pathologies, particularly in the presence of cystic adenomas. Clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion and use complementary imaging modalities to avoid delays in treatment.

Disclosure: M. Owrangi: None. F. Hasan: None. Introduction: Parathyroid adenomas are the most common cause of primary hyperparathyroidism, but within this category, a rare subtype exists - cystic parathyroid adenomas (CPAs). Comprising only 0.5-1% of all parathyroid lesions, CPAs present unique diagnostic and therapeutic challenges. We report a case of a female patient presenting with severe hypercalcemia caused by a CPA. Case presentation: A 44-year-old African American female with a history of nephrolithiasis presented with abdominal pain and signs of dehydration. Labs were remarkable for serum calcium 13.2 mg/dL, albumin 4.0 g/dL, phosphorus 1.8 mg/dL, iPTH 617.7 pg/mL, 25-OH vit D 12.1 ng/mL, creatinine 0.85 mg/dL. She was initially resuscitated aggressively with IV fluids resulting in an improvement in serum calcium level to 10.3 mg/dL. Thyroid US showed a cystic nodule deep to the left thyroid lobe. Sestamibi parathyroid scan was consistent with a left superior parathyroid adenoma. She underwent 2 gland parathyroidectomy 3 months after the initial presentation. Intraoperatively serum PTH decreased by 91% after resection of the 2 parathyroid adenomas. Pathology confirmed the presence of 2 parathyroid adenomas, the larger one measuring 2.8 cm and weighing 3.8 g. Discussion: We describe a case of a middle-aged female presenting with severe hypercalcemia due to CPA. Her initial presentation was concerning for parathyroid carcinoma given the severity of hypercalcemia. However, the radiologic findings, coupled with surgical pathology, indicated that she had CPA. CPAs can be either functional, causing primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) with elevated serum calcium levels, or non-functional, remaining asymptomatic. Clinical features of PHPT associated with CPAs are similar to those with solid adenomas and include fatigue, GI symptoms, nephrolithiasis, bone pain, and neuropsychiatric manifestations. However, CPAs may exhibit certain distinct presentations: i) higher pre-operative serum calcium levels; and ii) increased risk of symptomatic hypercalcemia. Despite their rarity, CPAs deserve special attention due to their unique presentation, challenging diagnosis, and potential for severe hypercalcemia. Surgical parathyroidectomy is the definitive treatment for functional CPAs. Accurate localization and complete excision of the adenoma are crucial to avoid recurrence. Most CPAs occur in the fourth and fifth decade of life and are more common in women (female to male ratio of 2.5:1). 65-85% of cases are located in the neck and the majority arise from the inferior parathyroid glands and are left-sided, and may very rarely be intrathyroidal. Presentation: 6/2/2024

Background: About 1-5% of all anterior cystic neck masses account for parathyroid cysts, which can be functional and nonfunctional. Functional cyst or cystic parathyroid adenoma is a very rare tumor which causes primary hyperparathyroidism and relatively hypercalcemia. Here, we present a giant cystic parathyroid adenoma which is the largest reported to date in the literature. Case Presentation: Our patient presented with a right-sided neck mass and manifesting symptoms, which developed recently, such as itching, fatigue, proximal muscle weakness, and polyuria. In this case, the high calcium level had not been taken into account when evaluating the patient; the possibility of parathyroid adenoma had not been suspected; and repeated aspirations had been performed. After parathyroidectomy, the patient developed postoperative hyperparathyroidism as a complication. Conclusion: Even though cystic parathyroid adenoma is a rare diagnosis, it should be considered in differential diagnosis, and parathyroid hormone of the aspirated fluid from the neck mass should be measured.

Background Cystic parathyroid adenomas represent a rare subtype of parathyroid adenomas characterised by cystic degeneration for which surgical intervention is the only curative treatment. Conservative medical management is a suitable option for patients with multiple comorbidities or mild symptoms. To our knowledge this is the first case of a bilobed cystic parathyroid adenoma in a patient with tertiary hyperparathyroidism secondary to long standing chronic kidney disease. Case presentation: A 65-year-old lady with stage IV CKD was referred to the endocrine surgical department having presented with hip pain. Investigations revealed hypercalcaemia, high parathyroid hormone in the setting of bilateral small echogenic kidneys. Imaging identified a bilobed parathyroid mass. 99m-technetium sestamibi scan confirmed a parathyroid adenoma. Having failed conservative management a minimally invasive parathyroidectomy was performed with histological analysis reporting a cystic parathyroid adenoma. Conclusions Cystic parathyroid adenomas are a rare cause of tertiary hyperparathyroidism and usually present with signs and symptoms of high calcium and high parathyroid hormone. Accurate diagnosis requires a combination of laboratory investigations and imaging. Management commonly involves surgical resection especially following failure of conservative treatments.

The most common cause of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a solid parathyroid adenoma. Less than 2% of cases of PHPT are caused by cystic parathyroid adenomas formed from degeneration of pre-existing solid parathyroid adenomas. Cystic parathyroid adenomas are non-functional in over 90% of cases. In this case we describe management of a 56-year-old man with acute-onset polydipsia, polyuria, xerostomia, nausea, and constipation. Serum chemistry upon admission revealed hypercalcemia, hyperparathyroidism, and reduced serum phosphorus. Neck sonogram revealed a predominantly anechoic lesion later confirmed by pathology to be a cystic parathyroid adenoma in the right thyroid lobe. Sestamibi scan did not show uptake in parathyroid gland, and parathyroid hormone (PTH) was elevated in fine-needle aspiration sample. Otolaryngology removed the cystic lesion via surgical excision, which led to normalization of PTH level. This case demonstrates the importance of evaluation of cystic components for PTH levels and if confirmed should be treated as a parathyroid adenoma.

Objective: A case report of a retropharyngeal cystic parathyroid adenoma and a review of its embryology, differential diagnosis and management are presented. Material and Method: A 34-year-old woman presented with a 2-year history of a right-sided discrete, cystic, submucosal cervical mass displacing the oropharynx anteriorly. MRI showed a large, cystic hyperdense mass occupying the parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal spaces. Surgical resection revealed a right-sided multinodular neck mass originating from the thyroid gland and extending along the prevertebral space and towards the contralateral neck, displacing the pharynx and larynx. Histology was consistent with a cystic parathyroidadenoma. Discussion: Cystic parathyroid adenoma has rarely been reported and may mimic a retropharyngeal abscess. The unusual location of parathyroid tissue can be explained by its origin from ectopic superior parathyroid glands or tumor extension from parathyroid glands intothe retropharyngeal space. Conclusion:The differential diagnosis of a retropharyngeal mass should include parathyroid tumours.

Primary hyperparathyroidism is the most frequent cause of hypercalcemia, and its prevalence is increasing due to the routine examination of serum calcium levels. Primary hyperparathyroidims is most commonly caused by an adenoma or hyperplasia of the parathyroid gland. A cystic parathyroid adenoma is an extremely rare cause of primary hyperparathyroidism. In our case, a-79-year old female presented with lower back pain and constipation. Her serum calcium, phosphate and immunoreactive parathyroid homone levels were 15.6, 1.8 mg/dL and 371.8 pg/mL, respectively. Neck CT revealed a cystic mass and a contour bulging heterogeneous mass in the left inferior right thyroid gland, respectively. These mass lesions were removed, and the intra-operative parathyroid hormone levels monitored, to confirm the complete resection. After removing the left cystic mass to the inferior thyroid, the serum calcium and immunoreactive parathyroid hormone levels quickly returned to normal. We report a case of primary hyperparathyroidism, caused by a cystic parathyroid adenoma, with a brief review of the literature (J Kor Soc Endocrinol 20:278～282, 2005).

Gamma Knife radiosurgery (GKRS) is a common treatment modality for vestibular schwannoma (VS). The ability to predict treatment response is important in patient counseling and decision-making. The authors developed an algorithm that can automatically segment and differentiate cystic and solid tumor components of VS. They also investigated associations between the quantified radiological features of each component and tumor response after GKRS. This is a retrospective study comprising 323 patients with VS treated with GKRS. After preprocessing and generation of pretreatment T2-weighted (T2W)/T1-weighted with contrast (T1WC) images, the authors segmented VSs into cystic and solid components by using fuzzy C-means clustering. Quantitative radiological features of the entire tumor and its cystic and solid components were extracted. Linear regression models were implemented to correlate clinical variables and radiological features with the specific growth rate (SGR) of VS after GKRS. A multivariable linear regression model of radiological features of the entire tumor demonstrated that a higher tumor mean signal intensity (SI) on T2W/T1WC images (p < 0.001) was associated with a lower SGR after GKRS. Similarly, a multivariable linear regression model using radiological features of cystic and solid tumor components demonstrated that a higher solid component mean SI (p = 0.039) and a higher cystic component mean SI (p = 0.004) on T2W/T1WC images were associated with a lower SGR after GKRS. A larger cystic component proportion (p = 0.085) was associated with a trend toward a lower SGR after GKRS. Radiological features of VSs on pretreatment MRI that were quantified using fuzzy C-means were associated with tumor response after GKRS. Tumors with a higher tumor mean SI, a higher solid component mean SI, and a higher cystic component mean SI on T2W/T1WC images were more likely to regress in volume after GKRS. Those with a larger cystic component proportion also trended toward regression after GKRS. Further refinement of the algorithm may allow direct prediction of tumor response.

Traumatic retropharyngeal hematoma necessitating emergency intubation.

Congenital cervical fibrosacroma with hydrops fetalis

To evaluate whether magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be used to differentiate between malignant and benign multicystic uterine cervical lesions. Twenty-two patients with cervical adenocarcinomas, including minimal deviation adenocarcinoma, and five patients with benign multicystic lesions were classified as a percentage of solid components on MRI. Cystic components were further classified by average cyst diameter and signal intensity of the cyst fluid on T1WI. All nine of the entirely solid lesions were malignant. In contrast, two of the entirely cystic lesions were benign. Ten of the ordinary adenocarcinomas had both solid and cystic components. However, three of the 16 solid and cystic lesions were benign. Lesions composed of cysts smaller than 5mm tended to be malignant; however, some lesions composed of larger cysts were also malignant. Three of 5 lesions with low-signal and 7 of 10 with intermediate-signal fluid were malignant. The malignancy potential was higher in the lesions with a higher percentage of solid components. However, determining whether multicystic lesions were benign or malignant based on the existence of solid components, the average cyst size, and the signal intensity of cyst fluid was impossible. Although a multicystic lesion with solid components in the deep cervical stroma had been reported as a MR finding of a minimal deviation adenocarcinoma, this does not appear to be pathognomonic.

(1) Background: Parathyroid cystic adenomas (PCA) are rare entities representing only 0.5-1% of parathyroid adenomas, accounting for 1-2% of cases of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). The purpose of this study was to compare classical and functional/secreting cystic parathyroid lesions and identify risk factors for severe hypercalcemia; (2) Methods: A total of 17 patients with PHPT and parathyroid cysts (study group) were compared with the group of 100 patients with hyperparathyroidism caused by adenoma or hyperplasia (control group). In both groups the majority were women (88% vs. 12%, with gender ratio 7, 3:1). The patients were examined preoperatively and postoperatively: PTH, creatine, calcium and phosphate serum and urine concentrations and calcidiol serum levels were assessed; (3) Results: Patients with parathyroid cyst had statistically higher PTH and calcium serum concentration, higher calciuria and lower serum phosphate concentration. There were no statistically significant differences in the concentration of creatine in serum and urine and tubular reabsorption of phosphorus (TRP); (4) Conclusions: Due to higher PTH and calcium levels, cystic parathyroid adenomas could be one of the rare risk factors for severe hypercalcemia and hypercalcemic crisis which can be life threatening.