Percutaneous ethanol injection therapy: a surgery-sparing treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism.

Objective: To describe our 3-year experience in the long-term efficacy and safety of percutaneous ethanol injection therapy (PEIT), as an alternative to surgery for the management of patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (p-HPT).

Design: Prospective study with a mean follow-up of 19.6 +/- 10.6 months.

Patients: Our study population included 19 consecutive high risk patients with p-HPT, who met the criteria for surgery.

Measurements: Under ultrasonic guidance, ethanol (95%) was injected into parathyroid glands with a volume of >or= 0.15 cm(3). With the aim of normalizing intact parathormone (iPTH) values, repeated ethanol injections were carried out, in an interval of 2 weeks, until normalization of iPTH was reached or until no residual blood supply was detected by ultrasound in the gland. Biochemical parameters were monitored throughout the study.

Results: At 6-month follow-up, normalization of iPTH levels (10-65 ng/l) was achieved in 11 (58%) patients (responders). Of the eight remaining patients (nonresponders), six patients had reduced (but not normalized) iPTH levels and two patients required parathyroid surgery. Seventeen (11 responders and 6 nonresponders) of the 19 patients (89.5%) became normocalcaemic (serum Ca 200 ng/l. The only complication was a transient dysphonia noticed in three patients.

Conclusions: PEIT is a safe and effective nonsurgical treatment for patients with p-HPT, who are unsuitable for surgical intervention.