[Preoperative location of parathyroid adenomas using supraselective parathyroid hormone determination in the blood of the cervical veins].

After a short presentation of advances in biochemical and clinical analysis of primary hyperparathyroidism, the importance of superselective catheterization of the small jugular veins for PTH radioimmunoassay is shown as an improvement of the preoperative localization technique. Since May 1976, the diagnosis of pHPT could be established in 20 patients. Our own experiences with the method of small vein sampling combined with the radioimmunoassay demonstrate that a reliable localization of overactive parathyroid tumors is possible.