The University of Toledo Translation Journal of Medical Sciences 
Endocrinology Abstract, Department of Medicine Research Symposium UTJMS 2023 May 05; 11(1):e1-e1 

Hypercalcemia in the Inpatient Setting: A Case Report 

Sahithi Chinnam, DO1*, J. Creech, DO1 

1Division of Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, The University of Toledo, 

Toledo, OH 43614 

*Corresponding author: Sahithi.Chinnam@utoledo.edu

Published: 05 May 2023 

A 57-year-old female with a history of bipolar disease, depression, diabetes, and hypothyroidism 
presents with worsening mental status changes, visual hallucinations, and depressive symptoms. 
Symptoms started six months ago and have worsened over the past two months. Her husband reports she 
has been talking “gibberish” and has started displaying acts of aggression, such as punching him in the 
face. Her husband also notes a decrease in the patient’s motor control. The morning of the ED visit, the 
patient fell down five stairs and hit her head. She denied any loss of consciousness (LOC) during the 
fall. After admission, she was restrained as she was agitated and confused. She believed she had been 
abducted and that her husband didn’t know her location. Initial imaging included a head and cervical 
spine CT that showed no acute processes. However, CT of the chest showed abnormal adenopathy. 
Notable labs included a BUN of 37, Cr of 4.34, Ca of 15 mg/dl, and an ionized Ca of 2.01. Elevated 
calcium and adenopathy then led physicians to believe the altered mental status could be due to 
hypercalcemia secondary to a possible lymphoma/granulomatous disease. She was then treated with 
calcitonin and started on dialysis. Deterioration can occur in both physical and mental functions of 
hypercalcemic patients acutely. Thus, identifying and correcting hypercalcemia, while taking care to 
identify and treat any underlying pathology is crucial. A thorough workup focusing on laboratory 
findings and imaging can be crucial to quickly identifying the cause and treating the patient. 

https://dx.doi.org/10.46570/utjms.vol11-2023-649 

https://dx.doi.org/10.46570/utjms.vol11-2023-649
mailto:Sahithi.Chinnam@utoledo.edu