Paraneoplastic syndromes in primary liver cell carcinoma in Nigeria

Seventy patients with primary liver cell carcinoma (PLC) were studied for the occurrence and relative incidence of paraneoplastic syndromes (PNS) between 1985 and 1990. Here we communicate results of the study involving hypercholesterolaemia, hypercalcemia, hypoglycaemia, gynaecomastia and polycythaemia. Hypercholesterolaemia occurred in 20% of our patients and is the most common PNS in our series; polycythaemia occurred in 15.6%, hypoglycaemia in 8.6% and hypercalcaemia in 7%. It is noteworthy that hypoglycaemia, which is one of the commonest and certainly the most dangerous PNS associated with PLC, occurred in few of our patients. The occurrence and incidence of PNS as obtained in the present study slightly differ from those in developed countries. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying these systemic manifestations are discussed.