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Hypercalcemia associated with mineral oil-induced sclerosing paraffinomas
Andreas G Moraitis1, Martin Hewison, Michael Collins
1Eunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA. moraitia@mail.nih.gov
Objective:
Granuloma-forming diseases such as sarcoidosis are associated with extrarenal synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D [1,25(OH)₂D]. We describe a case of extensive skin lesions associated with mineral oil injections in which we provide evidence for cutaneous granuloma synthesis of 1,25(OH)₂D in the pathogenesis of the patient's hypercalcemia.
Methods:
Analysis of expression of the 25(OH)D-1a-hydroxylase (1-a OHase [CYP27b1]) was carried out by immunohistochemical analysis of involved skin.
Results:
In involved skin, expression of CYP27b1 was found in the dermis, where it is not normally expressed. Successful management of hypercalcemia was achieved with glucocorticoids.
Conclusions:
Hypercalcemia associated with mineral oil induced skin lesions is likely driven by unregulated expression of CYP27b1 by inflammatory monocytes and macrophages infiltrating the dermis.
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