Three-dimensional ultrasonography before minimally invasive focused parathyroidectomy: the importance of coronal images.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography (US) as a noninvasive preoperative localization procedure before performing minimally invasive focused parathyroidectomy in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT).

METHODS: Seventy-six patients with a solitary adenoma detected by US underwent minimally invasive focused parathyroidectomy. The value of 3D US was assessed by dividing patients into a 2D group and a 3D group. Age, the preoperative serum intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) level, operative time, length of skin incision, and weight of the resected specimen were compared between the groups, and multivariate analysis of the operative time was performed.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the 2D group and the 3D group in age, the preoperative intact PTH level, length of skin incision, or weight of the resected specimen, but the mean operative time was significantly longer in the 2D group (P < 0.01). Multivariate analysis revealed that 3D US and the weight of the resected specimen were correlated with the operative time (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION: The coronal images obtained by 3D US assist in the precise localization of parathyroid masses in patients with pHPT undergoing minimally invasive focused parathyroidectomy for a solitary adenoma.