Bokemeyer D, Fronhoffs S, Heidgen F J, Vetter H
Medizinische Universitätspoliklinik Bonn.
Praxis (Bern 1994). 1994 Dec 13;83(50):1418-21.
A 24 year old patient with epigastric pain, polyuria, polydipsia and hypercalcemia was admitted to the hospital. Besides the frequent causes of hypercalcemia such as primary hyperparathyroidism and malignancy-related hypercalcemia we had to consider sarcoidosis because of massive splenomegaly. The interstitial lung disease shown on x-ray films of the chest, the epithelioid granulomas in lung tissue and the increased ACE confirmed the diagnosis of sarcoidosis. Hypercalcemia is found in less than 5% of all cases with sarcoidosis. After treatment with steroids, diphosphonates and diuretics all symptoms and the hypercalcemia improved.