The transplantation of parathyroid glands in dogs

Abstract

Our experiments, begun in the winter of 1906-7, have with interruptions been continued to date. In the course of the work many questions have arisen which still require solution and we find ourselves on the threshold of the investigation.

The first attempt of which I know to transplant these organs was made by us in December, 1906. Two parathyroid glands, one from the right and one from the left side of the dog's neck, were successfully implanted into the thyroid lobes from which they were removed. 1

Leischner 2 succeeded in a small percentage of his cases in transplanting præperitoneally parathyroids in rats. These were autotransplantations, the donor being the donee. Pfeiffer, Hermann and Mayer² made two successful autotransplantations in puppies.

Beidl, commenting on the unsuccessful attempts of Foges, Kreidl and himself to transplant ovaries, testicles and suprarenal glands contrasts these failures with his success in the transplantation of the parathyroid glands. He states that a year prior to his report 3 he transplanted in two dogs, into the spleen, “foreign” parathyroids and “after a time” removed both thyroid lobes as well as the parathyroids. One animal lived seven months without a trace of tetany and finally died of what seemed to be “cachexia thyreopriva.” The spleen contained, the report states, two well healed, intact parathyroid glands, The second dog had tetany of short duration. It recovered, however, entirely, still lives and consequently has, the author believes, parathyroids in the spleen which are functionally sufficient.

With the exception of the two cases of Beidl I find no report of the successful isotransplantation of the parathyroid glands, and, besides my own, the only successful autotransplantation of these glandules in dogs are, perhaps, the two reported by Pfeiffer, Herman and Mayer.