ABSTRACT
SUMMARY Hypercalcemia is a frequent condition in clinical practice and when the most frequent causes are excluded, etiological diagnosis can be challenging. A rare cause of PTH-independent hypercalcemia is described in the present case report. A male adult with a history of androgenic-anabolic steroids abuse, and injection of mineral oil and oily veterinary compound containing vitamins A, D and E into muscles for local hypertrophy presented with hypercalcemia, nephrocalcinosis, and end-stage renal disease. On physical examination, the presence of calcified subcutaneous nodules and calcification of musculature previously infused with oily substances drew attention. Laboratory tests confirmed hypercalcemia of 12.62 mg/L, low levels of PTH (10 pg/mL), hyperphosphatemia (6.0 mg/dL), 25(OH)D of 23.3 ng/mL, and elevated 1,25(OH)2D (138 pg/mL). Imaging exams showed diffuse calcification of muscle tissue, subcutaneous tissue, and organs such as the heart, lung, and kidneys. The patient was diagnosed with PTH-independent hypercalcemia secondary to foreign body reaction in areas of oil injection. The patient underwent treatment with hydrocortisone for 10 days, single dose zoledronic acid and hemodialysis. He evolved with serum calcium levels of 10.4 mg/dL and phosphorus of 7.1 mg/dL. In addition, sertraline and quetiapine were prescribed to control body dysmorphic disorder. The medical community should become aware of new causes of hypercalcemia as secondary to oil injection since this should become increasingly frequent due to the regularity with which such procedures have been performed.
ABSTRACT
Lithopedion (litho = piedra, pedion = niño), es el término utilizado para describir un feto intrabdominal calcificado. Es un evento raro, con aproximadamente 300 casos descritos en la literatura internacional. Este artículo trata del caso de una mujer de 84 años con dolor abdominal, donde se evidenció en el examen físico, una masa abdominal de consistencia pétrea, con dimensiones de 23 cm de altura y 32 cm de longitud. El examen radiológico del abdomen reveló la presencia de imagen de densidad ósea, sugiriendo la existencia de un feto abdominal calcificado. La tomografía computarizada confirmó tratarse de un litoquelifopedion de 29-30 semanas, con aproximadamente 44 años de evolución.
Lithopedion (litho = stone, pedion = child) is the term used to describe an intra-abdominal calcified fetus. In the international literature, about 300 cases were described. In this case, an 84-year old woman was admitted with abdominal pain and the abdominal physical examination showed a mass with hard consistency with 23 cm height and 32 cm width. The abdominal x-ray examination showed the presence of bone density image suggesting an intra-abdominal calcified fetus. The computer tomography confirmed that it was a litoquelifopedion of 29-30 weeks of pregnancy and with about 44 years of evolution.