Intravagal ectopic parathyroid gland

Aim of the study: The presence of an ectopic parathyroid gland is the commonest cause of persistent hyperparathyroidism (HPT). High cervical ectopic glands represent 0.21 to 9% of these cases. Only 3 cases of high intravagal sites have been described. The authors report two new cases of persistent HPT caused by an intravagal parathyroid gland. Patients and method: In a series of 1,712 cases of HPT operated over the last 25 years (1,307 primary HPT and 405 secondary or tertiary HPT), two cases (0.12%) of persistent HPT were caused by a high intravagal parathyroid gland. One case corresponded to primary HPT and the other case corresponded to tertiary HPT. One patient underwent three operations and the other patient underwent four operations. Conclusion: Intravagal thyroid tissue may cause HPT. This very rare site must be considered among the other high cervical ectopic sites in the pre- and intraoperative assessment of hyperparathyroidism, particularly in cases of persistent or recurrent hyperparathyroidism. © 2000 Éditions scientifiques et médicales Elsevier SAS.