Esophageal carcinoma with high serum parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) level.
We report two patients with esophageal carcinoma with high levels of serum parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP). Patient 1 was a 66-year-old man in whom the serum calcium level was also high, and patient 2 was an 81-year-old woman. The serum PTHrP level was 411 pM (normal range, 13.8-55.3pM) in patient 1 and 94.5 pM in patient 2 (in whom the serum granulocyte colony-stimulating factor level was also high). We demonstrated PTHrP immunohistologically in esophageal carcinoma cells in both patients. After admission, patient 1 died of pneumonia on the 17th day of hospitalization (the 48th day after he had had an episode of frequent hiccuping) and patient 2 died of acute circulatory failure on the 12th day of hospitalization (the 25th day after she had vomited after a meal). Neither of these patients died of cancer. Pneumonia in patient 1 was believed to be due to weakened body defenses, while the acute circulatory failure in patient 2 was due to emaciation. Since esophageal carcinoma with humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy and leukocytosis is characterized by rapid progression and metastasis, early diagnosis and treatment are mandatory.
Watanabe
H A
HA
Department of Internal Medicine, Amano Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
Matsushita
H
H
Matsui
H
H
Komatsu
T
T
Taguchi
S
S
Sata
H
H
Amano
N
N
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001706:Biopsy; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; C470121:PTHLH protein, human; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D011506:Proteins