Key Points
- Hypercalcaemia is often found during routine laboratory work ordered on chronically ill patients who are still asymptomatic
- Familiarity with the causes of hypercalcaemia is essential because certain types can be easily treated
- Severe hypercalcaemia is a medical emergency requiring immediate treatment
- If left untreated, hypercalcaemia can adversely affect multiple organ systems, including the bones and kidneys
- Hypercalcaemia in the setting of malignancy usually indicates disseminated disease
- Hypercalcaemia usually indicates a very poor prognosis – 4/5 of patients die within a year