Racial Disparities in Primary Hyperparathyroidism
Jennifer H. Fieber, Kristin E. Goodsell, Rachel R. Kelz, Jae P. Ermer, Chris Wirtalla, Douglas L. Fraker, Heather Wachtel
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Racial disparities in surgery are increasingly recognized. We evaluated the impact of race on presentation, preoperative evaluation, and surgical outcomes for patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort study of patients undergoing parathyroidectomy for PHPT at a single center (1997-2015). Patients were classified by self-identified race, as African-American or White. The primary outcome was disease severity at referral. The secondary outcome was completeness of preoperative evaluation. Operative success and surgical cure were evaluated. RESULTS: A total of 2392 patients were included. The majority of patients (87.6%) were White. African-American patients had higher rates of comorbid disease as well as higher preoperative calcium (10.9 vs.10.8 mg/dl, p < 0.001) and PTH levels (122 vs. 97 pg/ml, p < 0.001). White patients were more likely to have history of bone loss documented by DXA and nephrolithiasis. African-American patients had lower rates of complete preoperative evaluation including DXA scan. Operatively, African-American patients had larger glands by size (1.7 vs. 1.5 cm, p < 0.001) and mass (573 vs. 364 mg, p < 0.001). We observed similar operative success (98.9 vs. 98.0%, p = 0.355) and cure rates (98.3 vs. 97.0%, p = 0.756). CONCLUSIONS: At the time of surgical referral, African-American patients with PHPT have more biochemically severe disease and higher rates of incomplete evaluation. Operative success and cure rates are comparable.