Hypocalcemia in the Presence of Osteoblastic Metastases

Abstract

A HITHERTO infrequently recognized abnormality in patients with osteoblastic metastases is the occurrence of hypocalcemia. It has usually been held that calcium levels are normal in this situation.¹ However, Aegerter and Kirkpatrick² state that the excess osteoid tissue present in these cases may take up sufficient calcium to keep the serum calcium at lower than normal levels. They suggest that rarely "dangerously low calcium levels" may be induced by this mechanism. It is the purpose of this report to describe a patient with extensive osteoblastic metastases, resulting from adenocarcinoma of the lung, who had persistent hypocalcemia.^{3 , 4} Case ReportW.S., a . . .