The Hidden Dangers of Hypercalcemia: A Case Report of Undiagnosed Symptoms Leading to Complications
Hypercalcemia is a relatively common metabolic abnormality; however, it is frequently undiagnosed. It often manifests with neuropsychiatric, gastrointestinal, renal, and musculoskeletal symptoms. We report the case of a 75-year-old woman with a history of syncope, anorexia, asthenia, weight loss, polydipsia, polyuria, visual hallucinations, confusion, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and depression. Laboratory workup revealed severe hypercalcemia (ionized calcium: 1.81 mmol/L) with normal renal function and significantly elevated parathyroid hormone (PTH) levels. A diagnosis of primary hyperparathyroidism was made, and the patient was treated with fluid therapy and zoledronic acid, resulting in the resolution of the symptoms.
Authors
- Lindora Pires
- F. Pombo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6809-876X)
- Francisco Belchior
- Ana Filipa Silva (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5470-9523)
Institutions
- Centro Hospitalar do Tâmega e Sousa (PT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Cureus
- Published
- 2025-02-06
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.78631
- Primary Topic
- Bone health and treatments
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00