ASYMPTOMATIC MEDIASTINAL PARATHYROID ADEN OMA

A 74-year-old woman was hospitalised for pleuro-pneumonia of the right base. The chest x-ray showed the presence of a right paratracheal opa city which persisted during the course of the infectious episode. A co mputed tomographic scan of the thorax showed a voluminous anterior med iastinal mass which compressed the trachea without invading it. Surgic al excision enabled the ablation of a tumour which was haemorrhagic an d the histological examination established a diagnosis of cystic parat hyroid adenoma. Ar anytime did the patient present either clinical sym ptoms or biochemical signs suggesting primary hyperpararhyroidism.