Parathyroid gland - Calciphylaxis

Home Chapter Home Jobs Conferences Fellowships Books

Parathyroid gland

Hyperparathyroidism

Calciphylaxis

Reviewer: Monika Roychowdhury, M.D. (see Reviewers page)
Revised: 16 February 2013, last major update January 2013
Copyright: (c) 2003-2013, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.

General
=========================================================================

● Rare and life threatening condition of vascular calcification, first described in 1962, that causes ischemic damage to skin (usually lower extremity) and other organs (G Ital Nefrol 2012;29:674, Hum Pathol 1995;26:1055)
● Also known as calcific uremic arteriopathy (CUA), calcifying panniculitis, vascular calcification-cutaneous necrosis syndrome
● Affects 1-4% of dialysis patients; associated with primary, secondary or tertiary hyperparathyroidism
● 60-80% mortality

Diagnosis
=========================================================================

● Bilateral, symmetrical, superficial skin lesions with persistence of dorsal pulses; confirm with biopsy

Case reports
=========================================================================

● 69 year old woman with primary hyperparathyroidism due to parathyroid adenoma (Arch Pathol Lab Med 2001;125:1351)
● 70 year old man with end-stage renal failure secondary to IgA nephropathy (J Med Case Rep 2009;3:9297)

Treatment
=========================================================================

● Parathyroidectomy

Clinical images
=========================================================================

Well-demarcated and gangrenous lesion of right leg

Micro images
=========================================================================

Subcutaneous tissue with calcification

Calcification in medium-sized arteries in subcutaneous fat

End of Parathyroid gland > Hyperparathyroidism > Calciphylaxis

This information is intended for physicians and related personnel, who understand that medical information is often imperfect, and must be interpreted in the context of a patient's clinical data using reasonable medical judgment. This website should not be used as a substitute for the advice of a licensed physician.

All information on this website is protected by copyright of PathologyOutlines.com, Inc. Information from third parties may also be protected by copyright. Please contact us at copyrightPathOut@gmail.com with any questions (click here for other contact information).