Hypoglycemia and Polycythemia Associated with Primary Hepatoma

Hepatoma Associated with Hypoglycemia, Polycythemia, and Hypercalcemia

“…[2][3][4][5][6][7] The association of the three has been recorded once by Schonfeld et al 8 The additional findings of hypercalcemia in the current case of hepatoma is a previously unreported association.…”

Review of endocrine syndromes associated with tumours of non-endocrine origin

“…It has been suggested therefore that hypoglycaemia is the result of excessive glycogen storage by the tumour cells, together with failure of the neoplastic cells to respond to the normal physiological mechanisms stimulating hepatic glycogenolysis. However, Schonfeld, Babbott, and Gundersen (1961) demonstrated a high insulin-like activity in an extract of such a tumour so that the mechanism of hypoglycaemia in the patients may eventually prove to be similar to that in the last group. It is interesting to note that Lowbeer (1961) was unable to find a single case of hypoglycaemia due to multiple hepatic metastases.…”

“…They showed that plasma proteins could be taken up by the malignant cells without prior extracellular hydrolysis, a process which does not occur in most normal tissues. Unger et al (1964) Unger et al (1964) contained both insulin and glucagon, and Schonfeld et al (1961) reported the simultaneous occurrence of polycythaemia and hypoglycaemia in a patient with hepatoma. Rees, Rosalki, and Maclean (1960) and Daly, Nelson, and Rose (1963) reported cases of adrenocortical overactivity and hyponatraemia and Rees's case also had terminal hypercalcaemia.…”

Hypertension as a paraneoplastic syndrome in hepatocellular carcinoma

“…2 Each such syndrome in patients with HCC was evoked by an active peptide synthesized in the HCC, such as polycythemia by erythropoietin, 2 hypoglycemia by insulin and insulin-like growth factor, [2][3][4][5][6][7][8] and Cushing syndrome by adrenocorticotropin production. 9 Rare paraneoplastic syndromes associated with HCC include hypertension induced by the ectopic production of renin 2,10,11 and angiotensinogen.…”