Diagnostic approach to hypercalcemia

It is usually not difficult to differentiate between them. Malignancy is often evident clinically by the time it causes hypercalcemia, and patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy usually have higher calcium concentrations and are more symptomatic from hypercalcemia than individuals with primary hyperparathyroidism. Although hypercalcemia in otherwise healthy outpatients is usually due to primary hyperparathyroidism and malignancy is more often responsible for hypercalcemia in hospitalized patients, other potential causes of hypercalcemia must be considered (table 1).