Serum calcium levels in patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis.

One hundred and two consecutively diagnosed pulmonary tuberculosis patients were recruited and followed up to ascertain the occurrence of hypercalcaemia before and during treatment with the modified short course antituberculosis therapy. Forty-five patients had hypocalcaemia at presentation, four of whom had hypoalbuminaemia. All those with hypocalcaemia had moderate to extensive radiographic disease on enrollment with BMI of less than 20. On commencement of treatment with the modified short course therapy, two of those with extensive cavitary radiographic disease developed transient asymptomatic hypercalcaemia. Although the hypoalbuminaemia and the hypocalcaemia seem to be related to the extent of radiographic disease and the poor nutritional status of the patients at presentation, no specific cause for the transient hypercalcaemia was found.