Rapid parathyroid hormone measurement during venous localization

The development of a rapid format for intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) immu nometric assays has facilitated the use of these assays intraoperatively as a guide to parathyroid surgery. The near real-time characteristics of this rapid PTH assay led us to evaluate its utility in the angiography suite in a patient who underwent venous localization for persistent primary hyperpa rathyroidism. The assay provided the angiographers with almost immediate fe edback and thereby facilitated accurate parathyroid adenoma localization. W e conclude that the performance characteristics of the rapid PTH assay exte nd its diagnostic utility to near real-time analysis of plasma PTH levels i n patients undergoing venous catheterization for parathyroid localization. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.