ACCENTUATED TEMPORAL LINE ON THE FRONTAL SKULL RADIOGRAPH - A SIGN OFHYPERPARATHYROIDISM

PURPOSE: To determine the importance of a temporal line (the marginal line for the attachment of the temporal muscle to the skull) that is a ccentuated on frontal skull radiographs of hyperparathyroid patients o wing to subligamentous bone resorption under the temporal muscle. MATE RIALS AND METHODS: Radiographs from skeletal surveys of 134 surgically treated patients with primary (n = 102) or secondary (n = 32) hyperpa rathyroidism (HPT) and frontal skull radiographs of 63 age-matched con trol patients were reviewed. RESULTS: An accentuated temporal line was the most frequent finding (29.4% of cases) in primary HPT, followed b y subperiosteal bone resorption in the hand (8.6%), salt-and-pepper ap pearance of the skull (3.5%), and rugger-jersey spine (1.1%). In secon dary HPT, an accentuated temporal line became less obvious as subperio steal bone resorption advanced. This finding was not seen in the contr ol group. CONCLUSION: An accentuated temporal line is another radiogra phic indication of bone resorption in HPT.