Radiology, Vol 192, 497-502, Copyright © 1994 by Radiological Society of North America
Accentuated temporal line on the frontal skull radiograph: a sign of hyperparathyroidism
K Ito, J Aoki, S Kobayashi, O Karakida, GS Seo, S Serizawa, S Sone, A Sugenoya and F Iida
Department of Radiology, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
PURPOSE: To determine the importance of a temporal line (the marginal line
for the attachment of the temporal muscle to the skull) that is accentuated
on frontal skull radiographs of hyperparathyroid patients owing to
subligamentous bone resorption under the temporal muscle. MATERIALS AND
METHODS: Radiographs from skeletal surveys of 134 surgically treated
patients with primary (n = 102) or secondary (n = 32) hyperparathyroidism
(HPT) and frontal skull radiographs of 63 age- matched control patients
were reviewed. RESULTS: An accentuated temporal line was the most frequent
finding (29.4% of cases) in primary HPT, followed by subperiosteal bone
resorption in the hand (8.6%), salt- and-pepper appearance of the skull
(3.5%), and rugger-jersey spine (1.1%). In secondary HPT, an accentuated
temporal line became less obvious as subperiosteal bone resorption
advanced. This finding was not seen in the control group. CONCLUSION: An
accentuated temporal line is another radiographic indication of bone
resorption in HPT.
