title: Hypokalaemia: common but not always benign. Severe, persistent hypokalaemia secondary to ectopic ACTH from a carcinoid tumour.
abstract: Hypokalaemia is a common and often benign observation. There is usually an obvious underlying cause for the anomaly. However, hypokalaemia can very rarely be the sole presentation of a more sinister disease. A high index of suspicion and a systematic approach are therefore required to avoid delays in the management, especially in the context of presentation to a medical team. We present a case of a patient with severe and persistent hypokalaemia due to ectopic adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) secretion secondary to a carcinoid tumour. The case report is followed by a brief discussion on the approach to the management of hypokalaemia and additional tests to confirm ectopic ACTH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, UK. muzafar.mahmood@gmail.com
authors.forename: Muhammad Muzaffar
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Mahmood
authors.forename: Kurien
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: John
mesh_terms: D000182:ACTH Syndrome, Ectopic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007008:Hypokalemia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D007018:Hypopituitarism / Q000175:diagnosis; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000556:secondary*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed