CALCIUM (blood, urine) Serum calcium levels are held within tight limits in the blood by a complex sequence of hormones. Increases in serum calcium are seen with: parathyroid adenoma, pheochromocytoma, lymphoma, parathyroid carcinoma, tertiary hyperparathyroidism (chronic renal failure), PTH secreting tumours, metastatic carcinoma to bone (breast, lung, kidney, lymphoma, leukemia), vitamin D overdosage, multiple myeloma, tumour producing a hormone that acts like PTH but does not cross react in the assay (parathyroid hormone related peptide (PTHrP)), sarcoidosis, milk alkali syndrome, Paget’s disease, thyrotoxicosis, acromegaly, and acute tubular necrosis. Some reasons for a low calcium are low albumin, decreased PTH, PTH insensitivity (pseudohypoparathyroidism), vitamin D deficiency (due to diet or malabsorption), low dietary calcium, calcium malabsorption, chronic renal failure, magnesium deficiency, anticonvulsant therapy, acute pancreatitis, massive blood transfusion, osteomalacia, renal disease, liver disease, diuretics, increased serum phosphate (e.g. due to renal insufficiency) and hyperadrenalism. The urine calcium is measured to determine if the body is losing more calcium than normal. High urine calcium also poses a risk for calcium kidney stones.
Posted on: Thu, 26 Jun 2014 08:36:44 +0000
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