Abstract
Background: Surgery is the therapy of choice in primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT), although other less invasive techniques have been used in the attempt to cure the disease. Recently, high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU), a totally non-invasive technique, has become available to cure solid tumors. Aim: The aim of this pilot study has been to assess the safety and efficacy of HIFU in symptomatic patients with PHPT. Material and methods: Four out of 31 patients with surgical indications within a cohort of 47-screened patients with PHPT were considered eligible for the study. All patients accepted to participate and were submitted to HIFU treatment in a single session. One patient was submitted to surgery after HIFU treatment. Patients were followed-up for 12 months after the procedure. Results: A persistent or a partial remission of the disease, respectively, were obtained in 2 patients (50%), including the one who underwent surgery after HIFU treatment. Safety was assessed performing laryngoscopy in all patients after HIFU procedure. A transient vocal cord paralysis was observed in all patients treated by HIFU only. No permanent side effects were observed in the long term. Conclusions: HIFU might be a promising technique in treating PHPT, provided that further development of the software decreases the rate of side effects and improves the short- and long-term efficacy.
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C.E.A. and L.C. equally contributed to the study.
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Ambrosini, C.E., Cianferotti, L., Picone, A. et al. High-intensity focused ultrasound as an alternative to the surgical approach in primary hyperparathyroidism: A preliminary experience. J Endocrinol Invest 34, 655–659 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345404
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03345404