‘Low dose’ 99mTc-Sestamibi for radioguided surgery of primary hyperparathyroidism

Aim In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of low dose 99mTc-Sestamibi administration for radioguided parathyroid surgery in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Methods Three hundred consecutive PHPT patients were studied between September, 1999 and July, 2003. Pre-operative work-up included 99mTc-pertechnetate/99mTc-Sestamibi subtraction scintigraphy and high resolution ultrasonography (US). 37 MBq of 99mTc-Sestamibi was injected i.v. in the operating suite approximately 10 min prior to the beginning of the surgical procedure for intraoperative radiolocalization; quick parathyroid hormone (QPTH) assays were performed. Results Two hundred and seven of the 211 patients selected for minimally-invasive radioguided parathyroidectomy (MIRP) were successfully treated for a solitary parathyroid adenoma (PA) through a 2–2.5 cm skin incision (mean operative time 35 min, mean hospital stay 1.2 days). In the 89 patients selected for traditional bilateral neck exploration (BNE), radioguided surgery was not as successful in the identification of the PA, especially in patients with 99mTc-Sestamibi-avid thyroid nodules. Nevertheless, the combination of probe and QPTH measurement was very helpful in patients with multigland disease. Conclusions Low-dose 99mTc-Sestamibi administered few minutes before surgery is sufficient for MIRP in patients with high likelihood of a solitary PA and without concomitant 99mTc-Sestamibi-avid thyroid nodules. The combination of radioguided surgery and QPTH measurements is very useful in the early identification of unanticipated multigland disease.