Parathyroid Ablation

A parathyroid adenoma is a small, benign growth of a parathyroid gland that causes primary hyperparathyroidism. Surgery — parathyroidectomy — remains the standard, definitive treatment. But some patients are not candidates for an operation, whether because of other medical conditions, prior neck surgery, anesthesia risk, or personal choice. For these patients, ultrasound-guided RFA or ethanol ablation of a localized adenoma may be considered as an off-label, minimally invasive option intended to reduce parathyroid hormone production and its effects.

These are off-label applications: they are not FDA-cleared indications, the evidence base is more limited than for thyroid nodule ablation, and they are appropriate only after careful evaluation and a multidisciplinary discussion. Candidacy depends on precise localization of the adenoma, its relationship to surrounding structures, and confirmation that ablation is a reasonable choice for that individual. Other selected benign neck lesions may also be evaluated for ablation on a case-by-case basis.

If you have a parathyroid adenoma or another neck lesion and are not a candidate for surgery — or simply want to understand whether a non-surgical approach is reasonable for you — we are glad to review your imaging and laboratory results and talk it through.