INTRAOPERATIVE IDENTIFICATION OF PARATHYROID-GLAND PATHOLOGY - A NEW APPROACH

Technetium 99m-sestamibi, a radiopharmaceutical used for the diagnosti c imaging of abnormal parathyroid tissue, and the Neoprobe 1000, a han d-held, gamma detecting probe, were used concurrently, during surgical exploration, in three children with hyperparathyroidism. This novel c ombination assisted with the identification of an ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenoma and with the localization of multiple hyperplastic parathyroid glands. Tc-99m-sestamibi combined with the Neoprobe 1000 may prove to be a useful adjunctive technique for the intraoperative l ocalization of abnormal parathyroid tissue in selected patients. Copyr ight (C) 1995 by W.B. Saunders Company.