Non malignant causes of hypercalcaemia include:
- Chronic renal failure
- Endocrine disorders (hyperthyroidism, phaeochromocytoma, Addison’s disease)
- Familial hypocalciuric hypercalcaemia
- Immobilisation
- Laboratory artifact due to altered albumin concentration or serum pH
- Medications (vitamin A toxicity [dietary fads, isotretinoin overdose, multivitamin overdose], oestrogens, antioestrogens, thiazides, lithium)
- Milk-alkali syndrome
- Primary hyperparathyroidism
- Vitamin D toxicity
- Granulomatous disease (sarcoidosis, tuberculosis)
Malignancies causing hypercalcaemia
Table 1: Tumours most often associated with hypercalcaemia [5]
??Malignancy
|
Frequency
|
Multiple myeloma |
40 to 50% |
Breast |
>20% |
Lung |
Usually squamous cell |
Squamous cell cancers of head, neck, oesophagus and thyroid |
Rarely |