Approach to the child with hypercalcemia: report of 3 cases

Abstract

Hypercalcemia in children is a rare electrolyte disorder. Its clinical presentation and etiology is variable. This publication addresses the cases of three children with hypercalcemia. The first patient is a 24 day newborn with irritability, poor suction and nephrocalcinosis. The second case relates to a 1 year old boy with pulmonary stenosis, failure to thrive, a delay in psychomotor development, elfin facies and nephrocalcinosis. Finally we present an 11 year old girl with abdominal pain, polydipsia, nausea, vomiting, lytic lesions in long bones and anemia. The causes determined for each case were, respectively: Distaltubular acidosis, Williams syndrome and acute lymphocytic leukemia.
We present two diagnostics diagrams o approach the child with hypercalcemia based on clinical, laboratory and imaging findings.
Therapy in these children should be based on increasing renal calcium excretion (hydration, diuretics), reduced absorption in the intestine (nutritional restriction of calcium and vitamin D, glucocorticoids), inhibition of bone resorption (bisphosphonates, glucocorticoids), redistribution of calcium and especially the promptness of an effective therapy, since it will have along term impact on health and quality of life.