Abstract. Background. Positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) is used in clinical practice above all other tests to define the status of oncological disease. The predominant use of PET/CT is due to its use of 18F- fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) to map cellular glucose metabolism. Some benign clinical conditions are also detected with FDG-PET/CT. These include inflammatory or hypermetabolic processes. Parathyroid adenoma is the most common cause of primary hyperparathyroidism, and nuclear medicine is already used to locate adenomas and to guide surgery for their removal. The utility of PET/CT with 11C-methionine for parathyroid disorders is well-documented in the research literature, while the usefulness of PET/CT with 18F-FDG is not clear. Case Presentation. We reported a case of a patient without specific symptoms for primary hyperparathyroidism, with a borderline high value of parathyroid hormone and a positive finding of parathyroid disease with PET/CT using 18F-FDG. Conclusion. PET/CT with 18F-FDG is useful in identifying parathyroid adenomas, and the techniques can be used to precisely clarify the nature of suspected nodules close to thyroid gland.

Keywords • Adenoma • Computerized tomography • 18F-Fluorodeoxyglucose • 11C-Methionine • Oncological disease • Parathyroid hormone • Parathyroidism • Positron emission tomography

Evangelista, L., Cervino, A.R., Gregianin,M., and Saladini, G.: FDG-PET/CT Visualizes a case of primary hyperparathyroidism in a patient with gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Thyroid Science, 5(4):1-4, 2010.

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