title: Somatostatin receptor expression in a parathyroid hormone-related peptide-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour causing severe hypercalcaemia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Humoral hypercalcaemia is a common complication of malignancy with parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) as a major cause. Breast and lung cancer are relatively common sources of ectopic PTHrP secretion leading to increased osteoclastic bone resorption.
  
  
  METHODS
  We report the rare case of a 40-year-old man with severe hypercalcaemia due to a PTHrP-secreting poorly differentiated endocrine carcinoma of the pancreas. On immunohistochemistry, the tumour was positive for PTHrP and somatostatin receptors sst1, sst2, and sst3, whereas sst4 and sst5 were not detected. We demonstrate the transient improvement of hypercalcaemia after adding octreotide to the treatment mainstays in hypercalcaemia of malignancy (fluid repletion, administration of bisphosphonates, loop diuretics, and glucocorticoids).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report showing somatostatin receptor expression in a PTHrP-secreting pancreatic neuroendocrine tumour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Internal Medicine, University of Tübingen, Germany. Karsten.Muessig@med.uni-tuebingen.de
authors.forename: Karsten
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Müssig
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Petersenn
authors.forename: Manfred
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wehrmann
authors.forename: Marius
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Horger
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vierling
authors.forename: Hans-Ulrich
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Häring
authors.forename: Baptist
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gallwitz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018278:Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006934:Hypercalcemia / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D015282:Octreotide / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism*; D010257:Paraneoplastic Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein / Q000378:metabolism*; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin / Q000378:metabolism*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D018931:Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal; D044162:Parathyroid Hormone-Related Protein; D017481:Receptors, Somatostatin; D015282:Octreotide