Endocrine Surgery Glossary
100 terms total — 24 showing — Last updated 15 Sep 2026
Graves' disease
Autoimmune disorder causing hyperthyroidism through thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins that mimic TSH action.
parathyroid adenomatosis
Multiple benign parathyroid adenomas occurring simultaneously. Distinct from four-gland hyperplasia and single adenoma.
parathyroid exploration
Surgical procedure to identify and examine all parathyroid glands during neck surgery.
parathyroid gland reimplantation
Surgical procedure involving transplantation of parathyroid tissue to prevent permanent hypoparathyroidism after inadver...
parathyroid hormone
Hormone secreted by parathyroid glands that regulates calcium and phosphate metabolism.
parathyroid venous sampling
Invasive localization technique measuring PTH levels in thyroid and internal jugular veins to identify hyperfunctioning...
parathyroidectomy
Surgical removal of one or more parathyroid glands, often confused with thyroid procedures in documentation.
parathyromatosis
Multiple small parathyroid tissue implants throughout the neck and mediastinum following parathyroid gland rupture.
pheochromocytoma
Rare catecholamine-secreting tumor of the adrenal medulla, often misspelled in medical documentation.
plunging goiter
Thyroid enlargement that extends into the thoracic inlet or mediastinum below the level of the thoracic outlet.
postoperative hypoparathyroidism
Decreased parathyroid hormone production following surgery, causing hypocalcemia. May be temporary or permanent.
postoperative laryngoscopy
Endoscopic examination of vocal cord function and laryngeal anatomy following thyroid or parathyroid surgery to assess n...
pyramidal lobe
A normal variant of thyroid anatomy representing a remnant of the thyroglossal duct. Extends superiorly from the thyroid...
radioactive iodine ablation
Treatment using radioactive iodine-131 to destroy remaining thyroid tissue after surgery.
radioguided parathyroidectomy
Surgical technique using radiotracer injection and gamma probe detection to identify and remove hyperfunctioning parathy...
radioguided surgery
Surgical technique using radioactive tracers and gamma probes to localize parathyroid adenomas.
RAIU
Radioactive iodine uptake test. Measures how much radioactive iodine the thyroid gland absorbs from the bloodstream.
recurrent laryngeal nerve
Nerve supplying intrinsic laryngeal muscles that is at risk during thyroid and parathyroid surgery, requiring careful id...
reimplantation
Surgical placement of parathyroid tissue into muscle after inadvertent removal.
retrosternal extension
Thyroid tissue extending behind the sternum into the mediastinum.
RLN
Recurrent laryngeal nerve, critical structure at risk during thyroid and parathyroid surgery.
sestamibi scan
Nuclear medicine imaging study using technetium-99m sestamibi to localize abnormal parathyroid tissue.
Sistrunk procedure
Surgical technique for thyroglossal duct cyst removal that includes excision of the central portion of the hyoid bone.
SLNB
Sentinel lymph node biopsy. A staging procedure that identifies the first lymph node(s) to receive drainage from a prima...
strap muscles
The infrahyoid muscles of the neck including sternohyoid, sternothyroid, thyrohyoid, and omohyoid. Often divided during...