Pancreatic endocrine carcinoma with ectopic PTH-production and paraneoplastic hypercalcaemia.

In a case of pancreatic endocrine carcinoma hypercalcaemia without bone metastases and normal parathyroid glands prompted our suspicion that there was paraneoplastic production of an osteoclast activating substance by the tumour tissue. This view was further confirmed by bone histology. Immunohistology post mortem revealed the production of PTH in the primary tumour and a liver metastasis. The usefulness of immunohistology in detecting paraneoplastic secretion of hormonal substances is discussed.