CORTICOSTEROIDS have been used to treat hypercalcemia due to all etiologies but are commonly used only for sarcoidosis and certain malignant diseases.1 The response of the serum calcium to administration of corticosteroids, as proposed by Anderson et al2 and Dent,3 is often used to differentiate hyperparathyroidism from other causes of hypercalcemia. Only two cases of steroid responsive hypercalcemia of hyperparathyroidism have been reported.4,5 The following case is a third example in which a patient with proven hyperparathyroidism had a decrease in serum calcium and improvement in clinical condition with steroid therapy.
Report of a Case
A 68-year-old white man had been in good health until May 1965, when he developed a staggering gait, loss of concentration, and mild constipation. He was seen at another hospital where the only abnormality noted on physical examination was a mild left facial weakness. The hemogram and a urinalysis were