Here at the Mayo Clinic in Endocrine and Metabolic Surgery, we treat the full spectrum of parathyroid problems. And that ranges from the simplest primary hyperparathyroidism to the most complex cases.
What they are are four little glands that regulate the calcium. And most often, it's just one of them that develops a tumor of it.
We utilize multimodal imaging, meaning various types of imaging to identify where the abnormal parathyroid is located. And that can include various imaging techniques such as ultrasound, parathyroid sestamibi scan, which is a nuclear medicine imaging. We use four-dimensional CT scan, which is an advanced CT scan imaging of the neck and parathyroid glands. And finally, cutting-edge imaging such as choline PET scan.
So PET choline is one of the newest imaging modalities that's out there. It requires generation of a choline isotope onsite. And so this is not widely available. It's really only available at a few centers across the country. And so with this type of scan, we can find parathyroid glands that are otherwise missed by traditional imaging techniques.
Once that step is complete, then the patient can very confidently move towards the next step, which is treatment.
Patients can come into the office feeling a variety of symptoms that are generally nonspecific, but rather debilitating for them. In many of these cases, we're able to treat hyperparathyroidism and watch these symptoms literally go away.
What we strive for is really to have a very efficient and effective itinerary for patients and know they're going to be operated on by very high-volume, experienced parathyroid surgeons. You feel confident that they're going to come here and get the care they need and deserve.