title: Life-threatening hypophosphataemia in a cirrhotic patient with jaundice.
abstract: We report the case of a 51-year-old patient with a history of liver cirrhosis, who presented with jaundice (total bilirubin 50 mg/dl [855 µmol/l], direct bilirubin 20 mg/dl [342 µmol/l]) and life-threatening hypophosphataemia (serum phosphate 0.5 mg/dl [0.16 mmol/l]), accompanied by inappropriate phosphaturia. The patient also manifested hypouricaemia (serum uric acid 1.7 mg/dl [101 µmol/l]) with renal uric acid wasting and renal glycosuria. This generalized proximal tubular defect may occasionally be seen in deeply jaundiced patients. Therefore, serum phosphate levels should be closely monitored in these patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina, Greece.
authors.forename: Elisavet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Moutzouri
authors.forename: Evangelos N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Liberopoulos
authors.forename: Moses
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elisaf