Soft tissue
Infections, inflammation & hematoma
Tumoral calcinosis
Author: Komal Arora, M.D.
Last author update: 1 July 2012
Last staff update: 10 September 2020
Copyright: 2002-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: Tumoral calcinosis [title]
Table of Contents
Definition / general | Clinical features | Laboratory | Radiology description | Gross description | Microscopic (histologic) description | Microscopic (histologic) images | Differential diagnosis | Additional referencesCite this page: Arora K. Tumoral calcinosis. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/softtissuetumoralcalcinosis.html. Accessed June 4th, 2023.
Definition / general
- Definition: large painless calcified masses in periarticular soft tissues, including elbows, hips, only rarely knees
- Also called calcium hydroxyapatite deposition in soft tissue, metastatic calcification
- Usage is imprecise - also refers to hereditary condition associated with massive periarticular calcification and any massive collection of periarticular calcification (Radiographics 2006;26:871)
Clinical features
- Associated with trauma, renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, metastatic carcinoma, myeloma, scleroderma, hypermetabolic states, sarcoidosis
- Associated with mutations in fibroblast growth factor-23 gene and other genes (J Bone Joint Surg Am 2009;91:1190, OMIM #212900)
- Rarely is familial (Am J Surg Pathol 1993;17:788)
Laboratory
- Elevated serum calcium, phosphate and Vitamin D
- Local recurrence common
Radiology description
- Lobulated calcifications, separate from associated bone
Gross description
- Large, multinodular, chalky masses
Microscopic (histologic) description
- Lobules of calcific material surrounded by histiocytic giant cells often containing small psammomatous calcifications
Microscopic (histologic) images
Contributed by John Irlam, D.O.
Calcinosis
Images hosted on other servers:
Figures 2a and 2b: Calcification with foreign body inflammation
Differential diagnosis
- Dystrophic calcification: contains dead tissue that is not rapidly absorbed; associated with coagulation necrosis, caseous necrosis, fat necrosis
Additional references
- Tumoral calcinosis like lesions (Am J Surg Pathol 2007;31:15)
