Hypercalcemic crisis due to parathyroid adenoma: report of a clinical case

Abstract

Hypercalcaemia is a most common disorder, accounting for approximately 0,6% of all acute medical admissions. Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) and malignancy are the two most common causes of increased serum calcium levels, together accounting for about 90% of all cases.
The classical symptomatic presentation of hypercalcaemia is seen relatively rarely in the developed world, the most common presentation being asymptomatic and detected following on biochemical testing. However, in rare cases HPTP can result in acute, severe and symptomatic hypercalcemia, called hypercalcemic crisis (HC). This condition is associated with profound disturbances in mental status, and cardiac, renal, and gastrointestinal function in the presence of markedly increased serum calcium and parathyroid hormone (PTH) concentrations. While some elevations in serum calcium can be well tolerated, symptoms of HC are severe. If treatmentis delayed, HC can result in death. We describe herein a case of a male patient who was admitted to the intensive care unit as a consequence of HC resulting from elevated PTH, secondary to a parathyroid adenoma.
We describe the case of a male patient who was admitted to the critical care unit for a HC
mediated by PTH secondary to a parathyroid adenoma.