Comparison of Medical Management versus Parathyroidectomy in Patients with Mild Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Meta-Analysis

BACKGROUND

Parathyroidectomy is the definitive cure for patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and has an annual prevalence of 0.2-1% in the United States. Some patients with mild disease are medically managed effectively using calcium-lowering medications and drugs against complications such as osteoporosis; however, many maintain a persistently high calcium level that negatively impacts their skeletal, renal, and psychogenic systems over the long term. This meta-analysis aims to compare the outcomes of medical management versus parathyroidectomy in patients with mild pHPT.

STUDY DESIGN

This meta-analysis was performed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines using PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science by two teams of investigators. Analysis was run using R packages.

RESULTS

A total of 12 publications including seven randomized control, two prospective, and three retrospective trials with a total of 1346 patients were included for analysis. The average follow-up for all patients was 41 ± 23.8 months. Demographics, pre-treatment calcium, PTH, and bone mineral density (BMD) were similar between the medical (N = 632) and surgical (N = 714) cohorts. Post-treatment calcium and PTH levels were significantly higher in the medical cohort (10.46 vs. 9.39, p < 0.01), (106.14 vs. 43.25, p = 0.001), respectively. Interestingly, the post-treatment PTH in the medical cohort increased when compared to pre-treatment (83.84 to 106.14). Patients in the medical cohort had lower BMD in lumbar (0.48 g/cm²; OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.21, 0.83), femoral (0.48; OR = 0.42, 95% CI = 0.29, 0.61), and hip (0.61; OR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.13, 0.85). Incidences of fracture, nephrolithiasis, cardiovascular death, or overall mortality were not significantly different between the cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study is the most comprehensive meta-analysis on mild pHPT to date. Our findings reflect that parathyroidectomy is the superior option in the treatment of mild pHPT patients as opposed to medical management.

[Primary hyperparathyroidism in Russia according to the registry]

BACKGROUND

There are no large-scale epidemiological studies on primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in Russia. The high prevalence of the disease, the high risk of disability and death in this cohort of patients requires the study of the epidemiological and clinical structure of PHPT to determine the extent of medical care.

AIM

Evaluate the frequency of PHPT detection and characterize its clinical forms in Russia using an online registry.

METHODS

The object of the study is the database of the State Register of Patients with PHPT 1914 patients from 71 regions of the Russian Federation. New cases of the disease, as well as dynamic indicators are recorded when patients visit outpatient clinics or medical institutions. The analysis of data made at the end of December 2017 was carried out. The following parameters were evaluated: demographic and clinical indicators; indicators of phosphorus-calcium metabolism, the main forms of PHPT and its course, the primary characteristic of PHPT in hereditary syndromes and parathyroid carcinoma. Results are presented as mean and standard deviations, or medians and quartiles; descriptive statistics of qualitative attributes absolute and relative frequencies.

RESULTS

the total number of patients with PHPT in the registry on 31 of December 2017 was 1914 cases (0.001% of the population of the Russian Federation). Identification of PHPT was 1.3 cases per 100 thousand of the population in Russia, 7.6 cases in Moscow, 6.1 cases per 100 thousand in the Moscow region. The average age of patients at the time of diagnosis was 55.6 10 years. The active phase of the disease was registered in 84.6% of patients (1620/1914), most of whom had a symptomatic PHPT 67.1% (1087/1620), and 32.9% a asymptomatic disease (533/1620). Symptomatic disease with visceral complications was detected in 15.8% cases (172/1087), with bone complications in 48.4% (526/1087). The mixed form of the disease was detected in 35.8% of patients with manifest form (389/1087). Normocalcemic variant PHPT (nPHPT) was registered in 14.5% cases (234/1620). Sporadic PHPT occurs in 83% of cases (1592/1914). 326 patients (17%) had a suspicion for hereditary form of the disease: average age was 31.2 12.3 years. A genetic analysis was conducted in 61 patients (3.2%): showed the mutation in the MEN1 gene in 2.9% of cases (55/1914) and the mutation in the CDC73 gene in 0.3% of cases (6/1914) (HPT-JT syndrome). Parathyroid carcinoma was confirmed in 1.8% of all patients (35/1914). Surgical treatment was performed in 64.5% of patients (1234/1914). Remission was achieved in 94% of cases (1160/1234), in 6% of cases relapse after surgical treatment or persistence of PHPT was recorded.

CONCLUSION

detection of PHPT in the Russian Federation raised in comparison to 2016, which is associated with an active start of registration of patients in the regions. At this stage, it is necessary to modify the principles of registration and control, to make a platform for gathering information and calculating the necessary volumes of medical care for PHPT patients.