Combination of color Doppler ultrasonography and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology for localization of parathyroid lesions

We examined the usefulness of color Doppler ultrasonography combined with u ltrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) for preoperative lo calization of parathyroid lesions in patients with hyperparathyroidism. Twe nty-eight patients (19 men, 9 women, mean age, 56 years) with clinical and laboratory evidence of hyperparathyroidism underwent preoperative color Dop pler ultrasonography and ultrasound-guided FNAC prior to surgery. On ultras onography, the parathyroid lesions were anechoic or hypoechoic, located beh ind or at the margin of the thyroid gland, and mimicked blood vessels in so me cases. On color Doppler ultrasound, parathyroid lesions showed little or no vascularity. They were easily differentiated from blood vessels, thus i mproving the safety of ultrasound-guided FNAC. Thirty-four (76%) of 45 surg ically confirmed parathyroid lesions were detected rates of lesions in the right upper, right lower, left upper, and left lower parathyroid glands. Ei ght (29%) patients had coexisting thyroid lesions. In conclusion, our findi ngs show that color Doppler ultrasonography in combination with ultrasound- guided FNAC is useful for preoperative localization of parathyroid lesions.