1970 Volume 17 Issue 4 Pages 257-261
In an attempt to localize the hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands a selective arteriography was carried out in three consecutive patients with chemically proved primary hyperparathyroidism. A radiopaque catheter was inserted into the aorta via the right femoral artery and under fluoroscopic guidance its tip was maneuvered to the desired level. In all the instances, definite tumor stain was obtained by arteriographies of either the subclavian or the common carotid artery. The vessels supplying the adenomas were proved to be the superior thyroid artery, a vague branch of the subclavian artery and the internal thoracic artery, respectively. Preoperatively one of the adenomas was palpable to the experienced hand. Other methods including scintiscanning with selenomethionine gave no positive findings in the tumor localization.
