Status epilepticus secondary to milk-alkali syndrome induced by hypercalcemia (oral antacids)

Abstract

Milk-alkali syndrome is mainly caused by the ingestion of large amounts of calcium and absorbable alkali. This syndrome can lead to metastatic calcification, renal failure and metabolic alkalosis secondary to hypercalcemia. Hypercalcemia is rarely a cause of seizure activity. Very few case reports have been published linking seizure to hypercalcemia, but only one recent case report about mesial temporal sclerosis relates the seizure activity to Milk-alkali syndrome. This is another report regarding seizure associated with excess calcium carbonate intake, but without any evidence of mesial temporal sclerosis. The patient described in this article, suffered from status epilepticus most likely secondary to hypercalcemia. Evaluations for malignancy, thyroid, and parathyroid dysfunctions were non conclusive, therefore hypercalcemia in our patient was attributed to milk-alkali syndrome given the history of the prolonged calcium carbonate intake.