Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy associated with non-small cell lung cancer demonstrated growth hormone-releasing hormone by immunohistochemical analysis

Hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPO) associated with non-small cel l lung cancer in a 58-year-old man was accompanied by an elevated serum lev el of growth hormone (GH), HPO rapidly disappeared after resection of the p rimary tumor and the elevation of serum GH was resolved. Immunohistochemica lly the tumor contained growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH) but not GH. These findings suggest that the high serum GH level due to ectopic GHRH pr oduction in the turner, was a contributing factor in HPO. This is the secon d reported case of nonsmall cell lung cancer which was immunohistochemicall y positive fos GHRH associated with HPO.