HUMORAL HYPERCALCEMIA DUE TO AN OCCULT RENAL ADENOMA

Humoral hypercalcemia refers to the elevated blood calcium levels caus ed by neoplasms which release a bone resorptive substance into the cir culation. Previously reported infants with malignant and benign solid tumors causing humoral hypercalcemia have presented with large abdomin al masses. The case we describe, a hypercalcemic infant due to an occu lt parathyroid hormone-related protein-containing metanephric adenoma of the kidney, shows that radionuclide bone scanning can be a useful t est to identify humoral hypercalcemia. Humoral hypercalcemia stemming from a soft tissue neoplasm should be ruled out, even in the absence o f clinical signs of a tumor, if bone scans show generalized uptake in the absence of hypervitaminosis D or radiological signs of bone lesion s, and serum parathyroid hormone is low.