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Retroperitoneal neurilemoma presenting with humoral hypercalcemia associated with markedly elevated plasma prostaglandin levels
Author(s) -
Komiya Itaru,
Yamaguchi Ken,
Miyake Yoshio,
Honda Satoshi,
Tsuchihashi Takayuki,
Shimizu Toru,
Fukushima Noriko,
Saito Yasuhiro
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
cancer
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.052
H-Index - 304
eISSN - 1097-0142
pISSN - 0008-543X
DOI - 10.1002/1097-0142(19910901)68:5<1086::aid-cncr2820680530>3.0.co;2-a
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , malignancy , radioimmunoassay , alpha (finance) , prostaglandin , surgery , construct validity , patient satisfaction
A 72‐year‐old woman complaining of somnolence and thirst was diagnosed to have a hypercalcemic crisis (corrected serum calcium level, 17.4 mg/dl) associated with encephalopathy and nephropathy. Imaging diagnostic techniques demonstrated a retroperitoneal tumor at the median site of right renal pelvis. Hormonal studies revealed that plasma levels of thromboxane B 2 , prostaglandin (PG) E 2 , 6‐keto prostaglandin F 1α (PGF 1α ) and prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ) were markedly elevated. The tumor was successfully removed by operation; her serum calcium level and PG levels normalized without any treatment indicating that this case belongs to the category of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy (HHM). Pathologically, this tumor was diagnosed to be a benign neurilemoma. Parathyroid hormone‐related protein (PTHrP) radioimmunoassay and Northern blot hybridization for PTHrP mRNA were negative. The current case demonstrates that hypercalcemic crisis could be induced by a curable benign neurilemoma, and suggests that this HHM‐like morbidity was associated with markedly elevated plasma PG levels.