A rare cause of hypercalcemia

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Charlotte Lepere (1), Jean-Cyr Yombi (1), Eric Van den Neste (2), Philippe D’Abadie (3), Halil Yildiz (1) Published in the journal : October 2019 Category : Internal Medicine

Summary :

Hypercalcemia is a condition that must not be mistaken, because it can be life-threatening. Its severe form must be rapidly treated. We present the case of 66-year-old man presenting with neurologic symptoms and cardiac alterations secondary to severe hypercalcemia. The diagnostic work-up revealed excessive production of calcitriol secondary to Richter’s syndrome. After treatment of hypercalcemia and chemotherapy, the neurological symptoms and electrocardiographic changes completely disappeared. The aim of this article is to discuss the main etiologies of hypercalcemia, its clinical manifestations, and the principles of its management.

Key Words

Hypercalcemia, lymphoma, malignancy, calcitriol

What is already known about the topic?

Hypercalcemia is a condition that can be life-threatening if not promptly treated. Its clinical presentations and etiologies are diverse.

What does this article bring up for us?

This article highlights the urgent need to rule out hypercalcemia in case of symptoms, such as general weakness and neurologic disturbances. In addition, the article shows that electrocardiogram abnormalities may occur secondary to hypercalcemia.