Efficacy of Radiofrequency Ablation-Guided by Ultrasound in Primary Hyperparathyroidism: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Radiofrequency ablation guided by ultrasound (RFA-USG) is an alternative treatment for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) patients. Despite showing accurate precision and minimal invasion, its efficacy remains questionable. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Cochrane Library, Portal Regional da Biblioteca Virtual em Saúde (BVS), Web of Science databases for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies evaluating RFA-USG in PHPT patients. Statistical analysis was performed with R software, version 4.4.3. RESULTS: Eight studies were included with 208 patients with PHPT undergoing RFA-USG treatment. After 3 months of treatment, parathyroid volume was 0.31 mL (0.16-0.61), Parathyroid hormone (PTH) level was 60.71 pg/mL (53.87-68.42), and calcium level was 5.43 mEq/L (2.63-11.23). The occurrence of hoarseness among the patients was 4.4% (1.64-11.02). CONCLUSION: RFA-USG is safe for PHPT patients, with associated parathyroid volume reduction and decrease in PTH. However, further study is needed to compare RFA-USG to the gold standard of surgery for PHPT.