Hypercalcemia in a patient with tuberculous mediastinal lymphadenopathy

• Published in: Singapore medical journal Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 87 - 89
• Main Authors: TAN, T. T, LEE, B. C, ZAINUDDIN, B. M. Z, WONG, K. T, SAMAD, A, KHALID, B. A. K
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Singapore Medical Association 01.02.1991
• Subjects: Bacterial diseases; Bacterial diseases of the respiratory system; Biological and medical sciences; Female; Human bacterial diseases; Humans; Hypercalcemia - diagnosis; Hypercalcemia - etiology; Infectious diseases; Malaysia; Mediastinal Diseases - complications; Mediastinal Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Mediastinal Diseases - therapy; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Radiography; Tropical medicine; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node - complications; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node - diagnostic imaging; Tuberculosis, Lymph Node - therapy; Human; Respiratory disease; Mediastinum; Malaysia; Mycobacterial infection; Infection; Case study; Hypercalcemia; Tuberculosis; Asia; Adenopathy; Bacteriosis; Female
• ISSN: 0037-5675

We describe the case of a 48 year old Indian female with hypercalcemia due to tuberculosis. She presented with symptoms of hypercalcemia and chest radiographs showed bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy with normal lung fields. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made histologically from biopsy of the enlarged hilar nodes. Her hypercalcemia resolved following one month of anti-tuberculous treatment. The prevalence of hypercalcemia in tuberculosis has been reported to be high in western series. There is, however, a paucity of local data on the subject. The presence of 1-alpha-hydroxylase-like activity in pulmonary alveolar macrophages with resulting increased formation of active vitamin D metabolites is the postulated mechanism of tuberculosis associated hypercalcemia.