C 11 Choline-PET/CT as a Localization Standard for Reoperative Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Abstract

Introduction

Previous studies have demonstrated that C¹¹ choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography (Choline-PET/CT) can localize abnormal parathyroid glands in the reoperative setting. This study assesses a large volume of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (1HPT) who underwent Choline-PET/CT to confirm its utility in the setting of negative or equivocal conventional imaging.

Methods

All patients who underwent Choline-PET/CT for evaluation of 1HPT from July 2017 to July 2024 at a single institution were reviewed. Inclusion criteria were patients who underwent parathyroidectomy and had lab testing to assess for cure (defined as >50% drop from baseline PTH and into normal range, or resolution of hypercalcemia at follow-up). Sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV), false negative rate (FNR), and accuracy were compared to conventional imaging (neck ultrasound, parathyroid scan, and parathyroid four-dimensional CT (4D-CT)). Subgroup analysis was conducted comparing sensitivity of modalities among index operations and separately in reoperations.

Results

84 patients were included for analysis. 61 failed to localize on at least one conventional modality, and 15 failed to localize on all conventional studies. 67 patients (80%) achieved cure, of which 53 were reoperations. Choline-PET/CT outperformed conventional modalities across sensitivity, PPV, FNR, and accuracy. Choline-PET/CT also outperformed conventional modalities when comparing sensitivity in both subgroups.

Conclusion

C¹¹ choline-PET/CT is a valuable imaging modality in the reoperative setting and demonstrates utility for index operations. It provides localization when other modalities fail and allows for a high surgical cure rate. Further investigation into its utility as a primary imaging modality is warranted.