Nonfunctional mediastinal parathyroid cyst: imaging findings in two cases

Anterior mediastinal lesions: CT and MRI features and differential diagnosis

Anterior mediastinum is the most common location of mediastinal tumors, which include various solid and cystic lesions. The lesion location and CT and MRI features are important in the differential diagnosis. Recently, CT-based mediastinal compartment classification systems were proposed and suggested to be useful for accurate evaluation of mediastinal lesions. CT and MRI reflect the pathological findings of mediastinal lesions, and knowledge of the pathological features is important for the differential diagnosis. In this article, we review the CT and MRI features of anterior mediastinal lesions and describe important points in the differential diagnosis.

Parathyroid cysts: A review of 359 patients reported in the international literature

BACKGROUND

Parathyroid cysts are lesions that represent 1-5% of neck masses. They are subdivided into two categories: functioning and non-functioning.The aim of the present review is to give a detailed account of all reported cases of parathyroid cysts in the literature and to analyze statistically the available data.

METHODS

A bibliographic research was performed from 1905 until 2016. A database with the patients' characteristics was made and analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

A total of 218 articles were found, reporting 359 cases of cysts. Mean age of patients was 49.24 y/o and the male/female ratio was 1:1.85. The most common locations were left thyroid lobe (113/358 patients, 31.6%), and superior mediastinum (69/358 patients, 19.3%), while the most common symptoms were neck mass (148/355 patients, 41.7%), compressive symptoms (73/355 patients, 206%) and hyperparathyroidism (62/355 patients, 17.5%). Non-functioning cysts were more frequent (220/357 patients, 61.6%). Regarding dimensions, mean diameter was 4.88 cm. Ultrasound and FNA are used for their diagnosis, while cystic fluid analysis may help the differential diagnosis. Recurrences were mentioned in 27/97 patients (27.8%) with available data. No deaths due to parathyroid cysts were mentioned in the literature.

CONCLUSION

Parathyroid cysts should be taken into consideration in case of parathyroid dysfunction or asymptomatic neck mass. The surgeon's careful manipulations on the cyst are crucial for a definitive treatment.

Cystic parathyroid glands in MEN1: A rare entity?

Approximately 300 cases of sporadic parathyroid cyst (PCs) have been reported to date. Only two cases have been described in MEN1 so far. Detection by imaging could be challenging, especially in multiglandular primary hyperparathyroidism (HPT) and clinical outcome could be different. During the period 1990-2014, 71 MEN1 patients were operated for primary hyperparathyroidism in our centre. We report three cases of PCs in MEN1 patients affected by HPT, who underwent a total or subtotal parathyroidectomy with transcervical thymectomy. In our series, all three patients had an unsatisfactory postoperative course, at variance with the high percentage (over 90 %) of long-term success in MEN1 patients operated at our centre. One patient affected by cystic degeneration of all the four parathyroid glands reported persistent hypoparathyroidism, despite autografts of parathyroid tissue. For the other two cases, surgery failed to cure hyperparathyroidism, perhaps because of the presence of undetected ectopic parathyroid tissue. In the context of a multiglandular disease such as MEN1 syndrome, PCs seem rare but our experience shows about a 4 % incidence. Furthermore their presence, even in expert hands, could affect the preoperative identification of the parathyroid glands due to the difficult differential diagnosis between PC and other cystic lesions of the neck, and intraoperative detection of the glands as well as the postoperative outcome.

A rare case of a parathyroid adenoma inside a parathyroid cyst

Parathyroid cysts (PCs) are rare lesions, located in the neck and anterior mediastinal region. The vast majority are non-functioning, presented as nodular cervical lesions. Large, non-functioning PCs can manifest with compressive symptoms of the surrounding tissues. Rarely, PCs produce excessive amounts of parathyroid hormone (PTH), resulting in primary hyperparathyroidism. We report a case of functional PC, describing its diagnostic and therapeutic approach.

Thoracoscopic resection of a giant mediastinal parathyroid cyst

Parathyroid cysts are a rare situation, unusually in the mediastinum. The preoperative diagnosis could be more difficult in some atypical topographies and imaging characteristics in particular in case of huge mediastinal cyst. In the following years traditionally, in case of intrathoracic parathyroid cysts, sternotomy or thoracotomy have been the preferred approaches. We report a case of an older patient with a huge mediastinal parathyroid cyst removed successfully using videothoracoscopy.