[Pre-operative symptoms and post-operative improvement in patients diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism. Analysis of 120 consecutive cases].

Objective: To compare the pre-operative and post-operative clinical symptoms in patients diagnosed as having hyperparathyroidism and given surgical treatment, in order to prove the existence of statistically significant improvement.

Material And Method: We report here a retrospective study performed on 120 consecutive patients operated on following diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism between 1990 and 2003.

Results: Nephrolithiasis, generalized bone pain and HBP were the most common clinical manifestations.

[Acute epiglottitis in adults. Diagnosis and treatment in our experience of 30 cases].

Objective: We present the 15-year-long experience of 2 hospitals in our region regarding the therapeutic management of acute epiglottitis in adults.

Patients And Method: Thirty patients with an average age of 46 years were diagnosed as having acute epiglottitis, either by indirect laryngoscopy or fibroscopy, and studied through a series of clinical parameters: age, sex, personal history, complementary tests, clinical symptoms, treatment, evolution, and average stay in hospital.

Results: We found an obvious predominance of this urgent pathology in males, with most patients reporting dysphagia or odynophagia (90 %).

[Contralateral hemithyroidectomy due to carcinoma of the thyroid. Our cases reviewed and updated].

Objective: We are reporting our 14 years' experience with prior hemithyroidectomies or contralateral hemithyroidectomies after a pathology result reporting malignancy (thyroid carcinoma) in the first surgery.

Material And Method: Twenty female patients with an average age of 45 years old have been studied and we have analyzed the initial symptoms, results of complementary tests, pathology diagnosis following initial surgery, and final outcome after a second intervention.

Results: The incidence of malignancy shown in our series after secondary surgery was 40 % and the percentage of hemithyroidectomy on hemithyroidectomy was 3 % after operating on 650 thyroid glands.

[Surgical treatment of refractory hyperparathyroidism and usefulness of the intraoperative PTH].

Objective: To share our experience in the surgery of so-called refractory hyperparathyroidism (secondary and tertiary without response to therapy with calcitriol).

Material And Methods: Retrospective study based on 41 patients-5 with secondary and 6 with tertiary hyperparathyroidism-referred by nephrology for surgical evaluation of their illness because of poor response to the medical treatment given.

Results: In 18 of the 41 cases we used the fast or turbo intra-operative PTH with reduction of more than 60 % in all patients.