Vol 63, No 2 (2012)
Case report
Published online: 2012-04-27
Mediastinal parathyroid carcinoma: a case report
Endokrynol Pol 2012;63(2):143-146.
Abstract
A 72 year-old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism was operated for parathyroid crisis. PTH serum level was 808 pg/mL. During
the operation, only two superior parathyroid glands were found. One was normal, and hypertrophy was revealed in the other. After the
surgical procedure, PTH serum level was 726.5 pg/mL. Helical computer tomography examination showed a heterogeneous mass in the
anterior mediastinum. The tumour was removed via a sternotomy approach. Histopathological examination revealed parathyroid carcinoma.
PTH level dropped to 5.74 pg/mL. Cytofluorometric examination revealed diploidy (DI = 1) in both the hypertrophic and the unchanged
upper glands, whereas parathyroid cancer was aneuploid. After the initial operation, the woman was discharged from the hospital on the
27th postoperative day. One year after surgical procedures, she is well. She has to take calcium. (Pol J Endocrinol 2012; 63 (2): 143–146)
Keywords: mediastinal parathyroid carcinomaDNA ploidy
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