Periarticular tumoral calcinosis and hypercalcemia in a hemodialysis patient without hyperparathyroidism: a case report.

Abstract

We present a case of a 58-yr-old male to illustrate the scintigraphic, roentgenographic, clinical, and pathologic features of periarticular tumoral calcinosis that occurred in a hemodialysis patient. Soft-tissue calcifications developed 3 yr after onset of hemodialysis, became progressively larger during the ensuing five years, and culminated in voluntary withdrawal from dialysis because of the extreme discomfort and lack of mobility that resulted from the calcinosis. Histologically, an aplastic disorder was present with very low bone formation. On bone scintigraphy, intense calcium uptake in soft tissues implied that it was metabolically active. We hypothesize that this high metabolic activity contributed to the persistent hypercalcemia observed during the patient's last year of life.