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Calcium and bone health

A practice question in the style of the MCCQE MCQ exam. Choose your answer to see the explanation.

A 50-year-old woman has hypercalcemia with a suppressed PTH, bilateral hilar lymphadenopathy and erythema nodosum. What is the most likely mechanism?

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The answer is A: Granulomas making active vitamin D.

Sarcoid granulomas convert vitamin D to its active form (calcitriol) independently of PTH, increasing calcium absorption. Treatment includes reducing vitamin D and sun exposure, and corticosteroids for significant hypercalcemia.

This question comes from Week 4 of MCC Vault: Endocrine, diabetes and metabolic. That week has 124 more exam-style questions like it, 5 short lessons and 155 flashcards. The course starts free with Week 1 and reaches this topic in week 4, as part of a five-month plan with full mock exams along the way.

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