There is a slogan in chocolate commercials that says “small body, big flavor”, and among mediastinal tumors there is also such a small body – ectopic parathyroid adenoma. The parathyroid gland is a flat, round gland, only about 6mmx4mmx1mm in size, and is located on both sides of the posterior wall of the thyroid gland. In some people, the parathyroid gland grows larger, becomes an adenoma, and learns to leave home and come to the home of the big brother thymus, becoming a mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenoma. Ectopic parathyroid adenomas of small stature don’t have a big taste, but they have a big role to play. The parathyroid glands can secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH), which is one of the main hormones that the body uses to maintain blood calcium concentrations, promote bone dissolution, promote calcium reabsorption by the kidneys, and promote calcium absorption in the intestines through vitamin D. Secretion of more makes the calcium ions in the human blood higher and affects human function. Ectopic parathyroid adenomas are much more mischievous than the parathyroid glands at home. Firstly, they grow in size, with a body size of about 3cmx2cmx1cm, and secondly, their size increases their strength, and the excessive hormones they secrete disrupt the calcium balance in the body, affecting the normal physiological state of the person. Some people will have recurrent kidney stones for ten or twenty years; some people will have bone decalcification, and after a long period of time, they will have fibrocystic osteitis; some people will have generalized pain and pressure, and in serious cases, they will have bone deformities or pathological fractures. If you happen to have these symptoms, you may want to go to the hospital and have your blood calcium and PTH levels checked. This is actually a parathyroid adenoma that is working overtime, and the excess PTH is affecting the body’s calcium and phosphorus metabolism. How can this change be corrected? So, your doctor first needs to find the parathyroid adenoma that has left home. We use ultrasound, parathyroid MIBI, CT scan, and MRI to carefully and unambiguously locate the ectopic parathyroid adenoma. Secondly, your blood calcium and PTH levels and their dynamics are tested and, if necessary, medications are used to improve their blood levels and disease symptoms in preparation for further treatment. Once the ectopic parathyroid adenoma is located, the surgeon can choose different surgical incisions to remove the parathyroid adenoma depending on its location, and the blood calcium and PTH will return to normal levels after surgery. Ectopic parathyroid adenoma is not a malignant tumor, and after removal, the blood calcium and PTH will be restored immediately, so the treatment is more effective. The key to treatment is early detection and accurate localization of ectopic adenomas. The Department of Endocrinology at our hospital is strong and has accumulated a lot of experience in the diagnosis and medical treatment of ectopic adenomas. The cooperation between the Department of Thoracic Surgery and the Department of Endocrinology has successfully treated many cases of mediastinal ectopic parathyroid adenomas with good results. Therefore, even if you have ectopic parathyroid adenoma, there is no need to be overly afraid or nervous.