[Locating parathyroid glands by methylene blue during thyroid surgery].

Identification of parathyroid tissue during surgery of the thyroid gland usually reduces the risk of post-operative hypoparathyroidism. The reliability of methylene blue by intravenous infusion as a means of recognizing the parathyroid glands was tested in 59 consecutive patients (including 23 with carcinoma) undergoing thyroid gland surgery. Precise localization of the glands was possible in 87%. The side-effects being mild, the authors suggest that this method should be used systematically in all cases of bilateral thyroid surgery, in cancers of the thyroid glands and in reoperations.