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Hypercalcaemia associated with disseminated cryptococcosis
  1. Hazwani Aziz,
  2. Noor Lita Adam and
  3. Nor Afidah Karim
  1. Department of Internal Medicine/ Endocrinology, Hospital Tuanku Ja'afar Seremban, Seremban, Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia
  1. Correspondence to Dr Hazwani Aziz; wanie82girl{at}yahoo.co.uk

Abstract

We report an elderly man who presented with giddiness and right-sided weakness, constipation and constitutional symptoms for 6 months duration. Blood investigations indicated hypercalcaemia with normal serum phosphate and acute kidney injury. Serum intact parathyroid hormone was suppressed. CT revealed bilateral tiny lung nodules with right upper lobe tree in bud appearance and incidental findings of bilateral adrenal lesion. Tuberculosis was ruled out. CT adrenal showed multiseptated hypodense rim enhancement adrenal lesion bilaterally. Adrenal function tests were normal except for low dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Right-sided cervical lymph node biopsy confirmed fungal infection with the presence of intracellular and extracellular fungal yeast. Serum cryptococcus antigen titre was positive. Our final diagnosis was disseminated cryptococcosis with lungs, bilateral adrenal gland and lymph nodes involvement. The patient was then treated with antifungal treatment. Serum calcium was normalised after 1 month with marked clinical improvement.

  • cryptococcosis
  • cryptococcus
  • calcium and bone
  • adrenal disorders

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Footnotes

  • Contributors Conception or design of the work: HA, NLA, NAK Data collection: HA data analysis and interpretation: HA drafting the article: HA critical revision of the article: NLA, NAK final approval of the version to be published.

  • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

  • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

  • Competing interests None declared.

  • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.