Minimally invasive resection of ectopic mediastinal parathyroid adenoma with use of the Da Vinci Xi robot

An 83-year-old woman was referred for treatment of an ectopic parathyroid adenoma. She suffered from neuromuscular symptoms due to hypercalcaemia. A chest X-ray followed by a thoracic CT revealed a mass of 4.9 by 5.7 cm adjacent to the ascending aorta and the superior caval vein. A right-sided thoracoscopic resection of the mass was performed using the Da Vinci Xi® surgical system. Pathologic examination confirmed the mass to be an ectopic parathyroid adenoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. Hypercalcaemia had disappeared within 3 days. A 1-year follow-up showed a complete restoration of the patient’s quality of life. The Da Vinci Xi® surgical system proved to be beneficial for resecting this mediastinal tumour in a minimally invasive fashion.