Metastatic gastric calcifications and bronchial neuroendocrine tumor]

We report the case of a 38 year-old man admitted for the treatment of a neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung with multiple bone metastases. At the diagnosis, the serum biochemistry revealed an evidence of malignant hypercalcemia with acute renal impairment. At this point, a Tc 99-m MDP bone scan was performed and showed intense uptake throughout the gastric walls. The patient underwent a repeat bone scan after normalization of biochemistry; no more abnormal uptake was noted in the stomach. Hypercalcemia is an abnormality of the calcium metabolism frequently associated with malignant condition. Metastatic calcification results from increased accumulation of the calcium-phosphate salts in different tissues related to a local physiological alcalinity. Usually reversible, metastatic calcifications appear as various extraskeletal uptake at Tc 99-m MDP bone scan.