Parathyroid Imaging

Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine abnormality, caused in most cases by a single parathyroid adenoma. Surgery remains the first-line curative therapy in PHPT. Imaging plays a vital role in presurgical localization of parathyroid adenomas. Ultrasound provides a safe and quick imaging modality free of ionizing radiation, but is operator dependent. Sestamibi scan offers comparable sensitivity to ultrasound, improved with concurrent tomographic imaging. 4DCT remains a problem-solving technique in challenging cases and after failed neck exploration. We present an overview of various parathyroid imaging modalities, including protocols and findings, in addition to relevant pearls and pitfalls.