Immobilisation-induced hypercalcemia following spinal cord injury affecting the kidney function in two young native Greenlanders.

INTRODUCTION: Immobilisation-induced hypercalcemia following SCI affecting the kidney function, is a rare but potentially serious condition. We report immobilisation-induced hypercalcemia affecting the kidney function in two young native Greenlanders with spinal cord injury (SCI).

CASE PRESENTATIONS: Two 15- and 24-year-old male native Greenlanders, both with traumatic C5 SCI were admitted to our spinal cord unit. They were non-smokers without history of daily alcohol intake pre- or immediately post-injury. No physical demanding activities pre-injury. Due to complaints of nausea/vomiting 10-12 weeks post-injury, not explained by usual causes such as urinary tract infection, blood samples were drawn and hypercalcaemia found. Both patients started treatment including increased hydration. Within 1 month calcium ion, plasma-creatinine and plasma-carbamide were normalised.

DISCUSSION: Over the last 20 years our spinal cord unit has only experienced immobilisation-induced hypercalcemia following SCI affecting the kidney function in two young male native Greenlanders. This finding of immobilisation-induced hypercalcemia following SCI affecting the kidney function in two young native Greenlanders, but not in the rest of our primary native Danish patient population, also including youngsters, suggests that ethnicity may be a pre-disposing factor.