Inorganic Phosphate Treatment of Hypercalcemia of Diverse Etiologies

HYPERCALCEMIA occurs in a wide variety of diseases (for example, hyperparathyroidism, hypervitaminosis D, sarcoid, cancer, hyperthyroidism and poliomyelitis)1 and is often responsible for many of the symptoms associated with them. Most often, these symptoms are more distressing than disabling and include such nonspecific complaints as constipation, dyspepsia, lassitude, easy fatigability and polyuria. Underlying these mild symptoms, however, is a process that may lead to nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis. Of even more serious import2 is the usually fatal syndrome that has been called hypercalcemic crisis — intractable nausea and vomiting, dehydration, stupor, coma and azotemia. Since this constitutes a true medical emergency . . .