Hypercalcemic Crisis

Abstract

The clinical picture of hypercalcemia ranges from symptomatic and perhaps life-threatening crises requiring immediate treatment to the more common asymptomatic patient with a mild elevation in serum calcium. Unlike the management of mild to moderate hypercalcemia, the therapy of severe hypercalcemia is independent of etiology. Hypercalcemia requiring urgent therapy is caused most often by cancer, but severe primary hyperparathyroidism (acute parathyroid crisis) may also be the cause.