Calciphylaxis from nonuremic causes: a systematic review

POEMS Syndrome with Extensive Calciphylaxis: A Case Report and Literature Review

POEMS syndrome, a paraneoplastic disorder, caused by plasma cell dyscrasia, is characterized by polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, M-protein, and skin changes. Calciphylaxis is a vasculopathy of subcutaneous arteries with calcification and skin ulceration, most commonly associated with end-stage renal disease. Calciphylaxis occurring in patients with POEMS syndrome is very rare; only 8 cases have been reported to date. We report the 9^th case. A middle-aged woman with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy and monoclonal plasma cell proliferative disorder with IgA gammopathy presented with a 3-month history of multiple painful violaceous plaques with gangrenous necrosis and ulceration on the abdomen and extremities. The skin lesions worsened after surgical debridement and fasciotomy but improved with weekly intravenous bortezomib combined with thalidomide and dexamethasone for POEMS syndrome. The present case illustrates that effective control of the disease activity of POEMS syndrome may improve the surgical outcome of extensive skin necrosis in POEMS syndrome-associated calciphylaxis.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Induced by Parathyroid Storm

Hypercalcemic crisis associated with the development of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has been rarely documented in the literature. Most cases have been described in patients suffering from malignancies or renal failure with the presence of metastatic calcifications being a prominent feature. Only three cases of ARDS have been reported to date in patients with hypercalcemic crisis due to primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Herein, we report a 72-year-old patient with PHPT that presented with severe hypercalcemic crisis and developed ARDS. He had mild chronic kidney disease and at presentation he had extremely high levels of serum calcium (22.5 mg/dl) and parathormone (3822 pg/ml). After receiving medical treatment for hypercalcemia and the initiation of hemodialysis, he developed ARDS with a fatal outcome, without the presence of pancreatitis, sepsis or heart failure. Although very rare, ARDS should be taken into account as a possible complication of parathyroid crisis, especially in patients with excessive calcium and parathormone levels.

Multiorgan failure with fatal outcome after stem cell tourism

Background

Unproven stem cell treatments may involve serious health, personal, and financial considerations. Due to worldwide spread, illegal stem cell therapies have become a major public health problem. We have already witnessed numerous reports in the mass media of severe and occasionally even fatal outcomes after such therapies. However, there are only few scientifically documented cases in which the causality between stem cell therapy and side effects cannot be refuted.

Case presentation

Here we present a case report of a 48-year-old patient with serious side effects, including disseminated skin ulcers, hepatitis, and cardiomyopathy, with eventual fatal outcome following unproven stem cell treatment.

Conclusions

The case of the patient presented here draws attention to the worst possible outcome of stem cell tourism. To effectively combat this issue, professionals and patients should be empowered with the right knowledge on possible side effects.

Beneficial Effects of Amnion-Chorion Stem Cell Grafting in the Long Term Management of Nonuremic Calciphylaxis Wounds

Calciphylaxis is a poorly understood disease with high morbidity and mortality. The current primary literature on treatment is lacking; however, disease management often involves a multifaceted approach with a primary focus on consistent wound care. This report describes a case outlining the long-term management of nonuremic calciphylaxis wounds in a patient with severe malnutrition with the use of human amniotic membrane grafts, aggressive surgical debridement, nutritional therapy, and advanced wound healing techniques. A 38-year-old African American female with a history of non-uremic calciphylaxis presented from a transitional facility with numerous non-healing wounds in the setting of severe malnutrition secondary to bariatric surgery. Biweekly wound debridement was initiated utilizing an amniotic stem cell skin graft, dry applicable absorbent dressing, high-frequency ultrasonic ablation, and wound vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) over the course of approximately nine months. Nutritional supplementation was given in the form of jejunostomy tube feed due to a gastric bypass and a perforated viscus. At the current date, the patient demonstrates significant improvement in pain and wound healing. The patient is also able to ambulate with care and has begun steps towards independent management of wounds. Future goals of care include independent bedside wound management, placement of allograft, and discharge to a long-term care facility. Most patients with refractory pain, widespread necrotic wounds, and dangerous comorbidities will inevitably be referred to palliative care. This case creates a framework for the long term management of medically complex patients with nonuremic calciphylaxis using human amniotic membrane stem cell grafts and appropriate advanced wound care techniques. 

[Iatrogenic non uremic calciphylaxis: A case report]

Calciphylaxis is a rare and severe condition, characterized by calcification and thrombosis of small vessels, mainly affecting the skin. It is most often described in patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis. Rarer cases of non-uremic calciphylaxis are reported. The prognosis is grim and the treatment is not well codified. Sodium thiosulfate has been used for more than a decade in the treatment of uremic calciphylaxis and has been shown to be effective. Its use in non-uremic cases has been reported in a few rare observations. Rheopheresis is a technique very recently used as an adjuvant treatment in uremic calciphylaxis. We describe a case of non-uremic calciphylaxis in a patient with normal renal function and with calcium supplementation. Sodium thiosulfate was introduced, then discontinued due to the patient's poor tolerance for this treatment. Rheopheresis was then used and allowed the acceleration of healing process and a significant reduction in pain. These two treatments are promising, larger studies are needed to establish their effectiveness in non-uremic calciphylaxis.

Assessment of outcomes of calciphylaxis

BACKGROUND

Calciphylaxis is a rare thrombotic vasculopathy characterized by high morbidity and mortality. There is a paucity of studies examining longitudinal outcomes.

OBJECTIVE

To assess mortality, days spent in the hospital, and amputations in patients with calciphylaxis.

METHODS

A retrospective medical record review was conducted in 145 patients diagnosed with calciphylaxis at an urban tertiary care hospital from January 2006 to December 2018.

RESULTS

Six-month mortality was 37.2%, and 1-year mortality was 44.1%. Patients with nephrogenic calciphylaxis had worse survival than those with nonnephrogenic calciphylaxis (P = .007). This difference in survival disappeared when limiting mortality to deaths due to calciphylaxis. Age (P = .003) and end-stage renal disease (P = .01) were risk factors associated with 1-year mortality. Diabetes mellitus was associated with greater total hospitalization days (coefficient, 1.1; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.4); bedside debridement was associated with fewer hospitalization days (coefficient, 0.8; 95% confidence interval, 0.7-0.9). Amputations were not associated with any of the examined risk factors. The use of warfarin followed by a transition to nonwarfarin anticoagulation was associated with decreased hazard of death (P = .01).

LIMITATIONS

Retrospective nature.

CONCLUSIONS

Calciphylaxis remains a complex, heterogeneous disease. Mortality is lower in patients with nonnephrogenic disease. These findings may be incorporated during discussions regarding the goals of care to facilitate informed shared decision making.

Topical cannabis-based medicines - A novel paradigm and treatment for non-uremic calciphylaxis leg ulcers: An open label trial

Non-Uremic Calciphylaxis (NUC) is a rare condition that often manifests as intractable and painful integumentary wounds, afflicting patients with a high burden of co-morbidity. The Endocannabinoid System (ECS) is a ubiquitous signalling system that is theorised to be dysregulated within wound beds and associated peri-wound tissues. Preclinical research has shown that the dominant chemical classes derived from the cannabis plant, cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, interact with the integumentary ECS to promote wound closure and analgesia. This is a prospective open label cohort study involving two elderly Caucasian females with recalcitrant NUC leg ulcers of greater than 6 months duration. Topical Cannabis-Based Medicines (TCBM) composed of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids were applied daily to both the wound bed and peri-wound tissues until complete wound closure was achieved. Wounds were photographed regularly, and the digital images were subjected to planimetric analysis to objectively quantify the degree of granulation and epithelization. Analgesic utilisation, as a surrogate/proxy for pain scores, was also tracked. The cohort had a mean M3 multimorbidity index score of 3.31. Complete wound closure was achieved in a mean of 76.3 days. Additionally, no analgesics were required after a mean of 63 days. The treatments were well tolerated with no adverse reactions. The positive results demonstrated in very challenging wounds such as NUC, among highly complex patients, suggest that TCBM may have an even broader role within integumentary and wound management. This treatment paradigm warrants being trialled in other wound types and classes, and ultimately should be subjected to randomised controlled trials.

Effects of Anti-vitamin k oral anticoagulants on bone and cardiovascular health

Vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (VKAs) have been proven over 50 years to be highly effective and acceptably safe in many settings and are still used by millions of people worldwide. The main concern about the safety of VKAs regards the risk of bleeding, but there is accumulation evidence of their potentially negative effects beyond hemostasis. Indeed, VKAs impair the action of several Vitamin-K Dependent Proteins (VKDP), such as Bone Gla protein, Matrix Gla protein, Gas6 Protein, Periostin and Gla-Ric Protein, involved in bone and vascular metabolism, thus exerting a detrimental effect on bone and vascular health. Indeed, although the evidence regarding this issue is not compelling, it has been shown that VKAs use decreases bone mass density, increases the risk of bone fractures and accelerates the process of vascular and valvular calcification. Vascular calcification is a major concern in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients, also in absence of VKAs, because of mineral metabolism derangement, chronic inflammation and oxidative stress. Direct Oral AntiCoagulants (DOACs) do not affect VKDP involved in vascular and valvular calcification, and do not induce calcific valve degeneration in animal models, being a possible alternative to AVK for CKD patients. However, the efficacy and safety of DOACs in this population, suggested by some recent observations, requires confirmation by dedicated, randomized study. We reviewed here the effects of VKAs in bone and vascular health as compared to DOACs, in order to provide the physicians with some data useful to wisely choose the most suitable anticoagulant for every patient.

Unusual Presentation of Mammary Calciphylaxis in a Patient on Long-Standing Renal Dialysis

INTRODUCTION

Calciphylaxis is a condition which involves ectopic deposition of calcium in arterioles of various organ systems. Here, we present a rare case of mammographic calcifications in a patient on long-standing renal dialysis.

CASE

This is a 57-year-old female who presented to breast clinic with unilateral severe pain and lumpiness of her breast. On mammography, calcifications were identified which were associated with focal lesions on ultrasound. An image-guided core biopsy showed numerous foci of histological calcification within a large area of fat necrosis. The location within arterioles was confirmed by CD31 immunohistochemistry. The diagnosis of fat necrosis with benign calcifications due to mammary calciphylaxis was made.

CONCLUSION

The hallmark of calciphylaxis is the deposition of calcium within small- to medium-sized vessel walls. This leads to ischaemia and necrosis of tissue. In the breast, only a few cases were reported in which patients presented with a necrotic lesion resembling carcinoma. These are reviewed in this report.

Penile calciphylaxis: A retrospective case-control study

BACKGROUND

Calciphylaxis is a rare disorder characterized by skin necrosis caused by calcium deposition within vessels, thrombosis, and subsequent tissue ischemia. Penile involvement may rarely occur.

OBJECTIVE

To identify risk factors, diagnosis, management, and mortality of patients with penile calciphylaxis.

METHODS

A retrospective medical record review was conducted of 16 patients with penile calciphylaxis treated at 2 large urban tertiary care centers between January 2001 and December 2019. A control group of 44 male patients with nonpenile calciphylaxis at the same institution was included.

RESULTS

The median survival of patients with penile calciphylaxis was 3.8 months (interquartile range, 27.0 months). Mortality was 50% at 3 months and 62.5% at 6 months for penile calciphylaxis, and 13.6% at 3 months and 29.5% at 6 months for controls (P = .008). Patients with penile calciphylaxis were less likely to be obese (P = .04) but more likely to have hyperparathyroidism (P = .0003) and end-stage renal disease (P = .049).

LIMITATIONS

Retrospective study design and small sample size.

CONCLUSIONS

This study further defines the disease course of penile calciphylaxis, which has high mortality. Imaging may be used to aid diagnosis. Risk factors include end-stage renal disease, hyperparathyroidism, and normal body mass index.

Calciphylaxis epidemiology, risk factors, treatment and survival among French chronic kidney disease patients: a case-control study

Background

Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy (CUA) is a rare disease, causing painful skin ulcers in patients with end stage renal disease. Recommendations for CUA management and treatment are lacking.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study on CUA cases identified in western France, in order to describe its management and outcome in average clinical practices. Selection was based on the Hayashi diagnosis criteria (2013) extended to patients with eGFR < 30 mL/min/1.73m². Dialyzed CUA cases were compared with 2 controls, matched for age, gender, region of treatment and time period.

Results

Eighty-nine CUA cases were identified between 2006 and 2016, including 19 non dialyzed and 70 dialyzed patients. Females with obesity (55.1%) were predominant. Bone mineral disease abnormalities, inflammation and malnutrition (weight loss, serum albumin decrease) preceded CUA onset for 6 months. The multimodal treatment strategy included wound care (98.9%), antibiotherapy (77.5%), discontinuation of Vitamin K antagonists (VKA) (70.8%) and intravenous sodium thiosulfate (65.2%). 40.4% of the patients died within the year after lesion onset, mainly under palliative care. Surgical debridement, distal CUA, localization to the lower limbs and non calcium-based phosphate binders were associated with better survival. Risks factors of developing CUA among dialysis patients were obesity, VKA, weight loss, serum albumin decrease or high serum phosphate in the 6 months before lesion onset.

Conclusion

CUA involved mainly obese patients under VKA. Malnutrition and inflammation preceded the onset of skin lesions and could be warning signs among dialysis patients at risk.

Trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT02854046, registered August 3, 2016.

Calciphylaxis in a Patient on Home Hemodialysis

Calciphylaxis is a rare and severe complication characterized by calcification of arterioles and capillaries in the dermis and subcutaneous adipose tissue that leads to ischemia, necrosis, and painful skin lesions in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD). It is also known as calcific uremic arteriolopathy. Calciphylaxis occurs most commonly with the ESRD with skin ulceration as a predominant presenting feature. Calcium-phosphorus dysregulation in dialysis patients are traditionally considered as a risk factor for the development of calciphylaxis. The involvement of an integrated interdisciplinary and multifaceted approach is key to the success of the calciphylaxis treatment. We present a case of a 51-year-old female with ESRD on home hemodialysis who developed calciphylaxis, which was successfully managed with increasing dialysis prescription, diligent wound care, and sodium thiosulfate infusion. Management of calciphylaxis in a patient receiving home hemodialysis has never been reported as per the review of the literature. Calciphylaxis is a sporadic disease, frequently encountered in the patients undergoing hemodialysis and carries a very grave prognosis. Current treatment is rarely effective, so preventive strategies play an important role by modifying the risk factors that promote the development of calciphylaxis.

Common and critical inflammatory dermatoses every pathologist should know

Inflammatory dermatopathology remains a challenging area for surgical pathologists. Yet every surgical pathologist encounters inflammatory dermatoses as part of routine practice. This review will focus on selected diagnoses that are either commonly encountered in the routine practice of surgical pathology or are critically important. The following entities will be covered: spongiotic dermatoses, lichen simplex chronicus, and early lichen sclerosus in the setting of vulvar biopsies, as well as graft versus host disease, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis, granuloma anulare, pyoderma gangrenosum, and calciphylaxis. Practical points and key histologic features will be emphasized.

Calciphylaxis: Approach to Diagnosis and Management

Calciphylaxis is a rare disorder of poor prognosis that can lead to intense, painful lesions involving the skin and subcutaneous tissue. Although mostly described in dialysis patients, it can affect patients with normal kidney function. The diagnosis of calciphylaxis is complicated by the absence of a gold standard marker of disease such as a clear histopathological finding. Late diagnosis and advanced lesions can significantly shorten life expectancy. Calciphylaxis wounds can have a major influence on the quality of life of patients, usually due to the immense unbearable pain these patients suffer from. The management of calciphylaxis mainly comprises aggressive wound care and symptomatic management. Therapeutic options are few and far between and are limited to off-label uses. Recent understanding of the pathogenesis of lesions has enabled development of novel therapeutic options, some of which are being studied in clinical trials (sodium thiosulfate, vitamin K). Vascular calcification and thrombosis underlie development of these lesions and research has been aimed at studying drugs that counteract such processes. Future research is required to establish clear causal pathways and improve on the treatment options currently available to patients.

Calciphylaxis due to metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma

A 70-year-old man with history of metastatic well-differentiated neuroendocrine carcinoma was presented to the hospital with a painful left lower extremity ulcer which started around 3 months prior to presentation. He was treated with antibiotics for cellulitis on multiple occasions with no improvement in his symptoms. On initial laboratory evaluation, he was found to have acute kidney injury and a normal calcium level. The patient underwent a skin biopsy and was found to have cellulitis and calciphylaxis of small-sized and medium-sized vessels. Since the patient did not have any underlying risk factors of calciphylaxis, the most likely cause of his calciphylaxis was thought to be his underlying malignancy. Physicians should keep this differential in mind while treating non-healing ulcers in such patients since they are at higher risk of superimposed infections and usually require aggressive wound care.

Anticoagulation in Patients With Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease: Walking the Fine Line Between Benefit and Harm

Chronic kidney disease affects more than 3 million Canadians and is highly associated with cardiovascular diseases that require anticoagulation, such as atrial fibrillation and venous thromboembolism. Patients with chronic kidney disease are at a problematic crossroads; they are at high risk of thrombotic conditions requiring anticoagulation and bleeding complications due to anticoagulation. The limited high-quality clinical evidence to guide decision-making in this area further compounds the dilemma. In this review, we discuss the physiology and epidemiology of bleeding and thrombosis in patients with kidney disease. We specifically focus on patients with advanced kidney disease (estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤ 30 mL/min) or who are receiving dialysis and focus on the nephrologist perspective regarding these issues. We summarize the existing evidence for anticoagulation use in the prevention of stroke with atrial fibrillation and provide practical clinical recommendations for considering anticoagulation use in this population. Last, we examine specific scenarios such as the use of a glomerular filtration rate estimating equation and dosing, the use of existing prediction tools for stroke and hemorrhage risk, current patterns of anticoagulation use (including during the dialysis procedure), and vascular calcification with vitamin K antagonist use in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Association Between Hypercoagulable Conditions and Calciphylaxis in Patients With Renal Disease: A Case-Control Study

Importance

Calciphylaxis is a rare skin disease with high morbidity and mortality that frequently affects patients with renal disease. Hypercoagulable conditions are frequently observed in both patients with calciphylaxis and those with chronic kidney disease (CKD), complicating our understanding of which hypercoagulable conditions are specific to calciphylaxis.

Objective

To identify hypercoagulable conditions that are risk factors for developing calciphylaxis while controlling for CKD.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This was a case-control study, comparing the hypercoagulability status of patients with calciphylaxis and with renal disease with that of a matched control population at 2 large urban academic hospitals in Boston, Massachusetts. Retrospective medical record review of laboratory values was performed to identify patients with hypercoagulable conditions. Case and control patients were further stratified based on both severity of CKD and warfarin. Patients with a dermatologic diagnosis of calciphylaxis between 2006 and 2014 and concomitant CKD were included as cases (n = 38). Three controls (n = 114) per case patient with CKD were included, and were matched by age, sex, and race.

Main Outcomes and Measures

The rate of various hypercoagulable states (ie, antithrombin III [ATIII] deficiency, protein C and S deficiency, factor V Leiden mutation, prothrombin gene mutation [G20210A], elevated factor VIII level, lupus anticoagulant, anti-IgG or IgM cardiolipin antibodies, heparin-induced thrombocytopenia antibodies, and elevation of homocysteine) in patients with calciphylaxis compared with their matched controls.

Results

Of the calciphylaxis cohort, 28 (58%) were female and 18 (55%) were non-Hispanic white. Among all patients, lupus anticoagulant (13 [48%] positive in cases vs 1 [5%] in controls; P = .001), protein C deficiency (9 [50%] vs 1 [8%]; P = .02), and combined thrombophilias (18 [62%] vs 10 [31%]; P = .02) were found to be significantly associated with calciphylaxis. In a subanalysis of patients with stage 5 CKD, only lupus anticoagulant (12 [53%] vs 9 [0%]; P = .01) and combined thrombophilia (15 [63%] vs 1 [8%]; P = .004) remained significantly associated with calciphylaxis. In a separate subanalysis of warfarin-unexposed patients, only lupus anticoagulant (7 [50%] vs 1 [6%]; P = .01) and protein C deficiency (5 [46%] vs 10 [0%]; P = .04) remained significantly associated with calciphylaxis.

Conclusions and Relevance

Presence of lupus anticoagulant and combined thrombophilias are risk factors for the development of calciphylaxis in patients with late-stage renal disease. Clinicians should be aware of these associations in patients with impaired kidney function and may consider increased screening and appropriate anticoagulation treatment to reduce the risk of calciphylaxis development.

Calciphylaxis After Kidney Transplant

Calciphylaxis is an uncommon disease that presents with painful ulceration and necrosis of the skin secondary to small vessel calcification and microvascular occlusion. Calciphylaxis carries a poor prognosis as the nonhealing wounds provide a port of entry for pathogens, predisposing these patients to infection and sepsis. Ulcers caused by calciphylaxis are most commonly seen in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) but can also present in patients with normal electrolytes and kidney function. We report a case of a 42-year-old woman with a 10-year history of ESRD who developed rapidly progressing calciphylaxis in her legs and hand, starting three months after successful kidney transplantation. The relationship between kidney transplantation and calciphylaxis remains unclear. There are a handful of cases in which calciphylaxis has been treated by successful kidney transplant, however, other cases have been reported in which calciphylaxis developed after kidney transplantation.

Calciphylaxis as A Rare Cause of A Chronic Wound in An 83-Year-Old Woman

Chronic wounds are common in elderly patients, and the majority of them are caused by vascular diseases, such as peripheral arterial occlusive disease (PAD) or chronic venous insufficiency. Because of typical signs, these diseases can be usually easily differentiated. However, 10% of chronic wounds are caused by specific rare diseases, such as vasculitis, specific infections, skin cancer, or calciphylaxis. Calciphylaxis is a rare cause of chronic wounds, and it is usually found in patients with end-stage renal disease. In this paper, we describe the case of an 83-year-old woman with a chronic ulcer of the lower leg caused by calciphylaxis.

Dermatologic Urgencies and Emergencies: What Every Pathologist Should Know

CONTEXT.—

Fatal dermatologic diseases and ones with high morbidity can occur in the inpatient setting. In such cases, prompt and accurate assessment of a bedside skin biopsy is required. This may be challenging for many pathologists who are not familiar with the complexity of skin pathology and skin terminology within the fields of dermatopathology and dermatology.

OBJECTIVE.—

To provide the pathologist with a practical, up-to-date, and "must-know" reference guide on dermatologic urgencies and emergencies from a real-world perspective, highlighting diagnostic pearls, diagnostic pitfalls, and commonly encountered practice gaps. This review will focus on key diseases with which every pathologist should be familiar, including angioinvasive fungal infections, Stevens-Johnson syndrome/toxic epidermal necrolysis, staph-scalded-skin syndrome, acute graft-versus-host disease, bullous pemphigoid, calciphylaxis, Sweet syndrome and its histiocytoid variant, pyoderma gangrenosum, and leukocytoclastic vasculitis, as well as those in their clinical and histopathologic differential.

DATA SOURCES.—

This review is based on peer-reviewed literature and our personal experiences with these diseases at major academic institutions, including one where a large number of stem cell transplants are performed. This review is unique as it represents collaborative expert opinion from both a dermatopathology and a dermatology standpoint.

CONCLUSIONS.—

This review outlines the critical role that the pathologist plays in the outcomes of patients with dermatologic urgencies and emergencies. Improved patient care will result from prompt and accurate histopathologic diagnoses as well as an open line of communication with the dermatologist.

Non-Uremic Calciphylaxis: A Rare Diagnosis with Limited Therapeutic Strategies

Calciphylaxis is a rare condition characterized by the emergence of non-healing skin ulcers secondary to arterial calcification and thrombosis, typically diagnosed in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). When it develops in patients without ESKD, it is called non-uremic calciphylaxis (NUC). The latter is an even rarer diagnosis with an uncertain pathophysiology and a high mortality rate (52%), mainly due to sepsis (50%). Cutaneous biopsy is diagnostic. Therapeutic measures recommended for NUC are limited to wound debridement, analgesia, and control of infection and risk factors. Other therapeutic options exist but with a low level of evidence. We present the case of a 78-year-old woman with NUC in her lower limbs who died of sepsis. NUC is a therapeutic challenge lacking efficient strategies.

Clinical implications of fetuin-A

Fetuin-A, also termed alpha2-Heremans-Schmid glycoprotein, is a 46kDa hepatocyte derived protein (hepatokine) and serves multifaceted functions.

Treatment of Calciphylaxis in CKD: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Calciphylaxis is a life-threatening complication of chronic kidney disease (CKD). To inform clinical practice, we performed a systematic review of case reports, case series, and cohort studies to synthesize the available treatment modalities and outcomes of calciphylaxis in patients with CKD.

METHODS

Electronic databases were searched for studies that examined the uses of sodium thiosulfate, surgical parathyroidectomy, calcimimetics, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and bisphosphonates for calciphylaxis in patients with CKD, including end-stage renal disease. For cohort studies, the results were synthesized quantitatively by performing random-effects model meta-analyses.

RESULTS

A total of 147 articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the systematic review. There were 90 case reports (90 patients), 20 case series (423 patients), and 37 cohort studies (343 patients). In the pooled cohorts, case series, and case reports, 50.3% of patients received sodium thiosulfate, 28.7% underwent surgical parathyroidectomy, 25.3% received cinacalcet, 15.3% underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy, and 5.9% received bisphosphonates. For the subset of cohort studies, by meta-analysis, the pooled risk ratio for mortality was not significantly different among patients who received sodium thiosulfate (pooled risk ratio [RR] 0.89; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.71-1.12), cinacalcet (pooled RR 1.04; 95% CI 0.75-1.42), hyperbaric oxygen therapy (pooled RR 0.89; 95% CI 0.71-1.12), and bisphosphonates (pooled RR 0.77; 95% CI 0.44-1.32), and those who underwent surgical parathyroidectomy (pooled RR 0.88; 95% CI 0.69-1.13).

CONCLUSION

This systematic review found no significant clinical benefit of the 5 most frequently used treatment modalities for calciphylaxis in patients with CKD. Randomized controlled trials are needed to test the efficacy of these therapies.

Non-uremic calciphylaxis associated with alcoholic hepatitis: A case report

BACKGROUND

Calciphylaxis is a form of vascular calcification more commonly associated with renal disease. While the exact mechanism of calciphylaxis is poorly understood, most cases are due to end stage kidney disease. However, it can also be found in patients without kidney disease and in such cases is termed non-uremic calciphylaxis for which have multiple proposed etiologies.

CASE SUMMARY

We describe a case of a thirty-year-old morbidly obese Caucasian female who had a positive history of alcoholic hepatitis and presented with painful calciphylaxis wounds of the abdomen, hips, and thighs. The hypercoagulability panel showed low levels of Protein C and normal Protein S, low Antithrombin III and positive lupus anticoagulant and negative anticardiolipin. Wound biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of non-uremic calciphylaxis in the setting of alcoholic liver disease. The calciphylaxis wounds did not improve when Sodium Thiosulfate was used alone. The patient underwent a series of bedside and surgical debridement. Broad spectrum antibiotics were also used for secondary wound bacterial infections. The patient passed away shortly after due to sepsis and multiorgan failure.

CONCLUSION

Non-uremic Calciphylaxis can occur in the setting of alcoholic liver disease. The treatment of choice is still unknown.

An Unusual Ulcer

This clinical case describes a 78-year-old female patient who underwent total thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy due to thyroid cancer; surgery was followed by radioiodine therapy. The patient was treated with 20 µg of teriparatide once a day for 7 years and consistently showed above normal blood calcium levels. In addition, following the operation, the patient began taking 50 000 units of vitamin D orally every month and 1 g of calcium per os a day. A painful eschar had appeared on the front of her left leg 3 months before; it had developed into a deep, painful ulcer. The patient did not present arterial or venous diseases. Arterial hypertension was effectively managed with 5 mg of ramipril per day, renal function was normal, and the patient was not suffering from diabetes. A computed tomography scan gave evidence of extensive dermo-hypodermitis calcification in the ulcer area. A biopsy was performed and the histological examination revealed calciphylaxis. The patient was treated by suspending teriparatide, which actually had been suspended months before, and replacing it with bisphosphonate; suspension of calcium and vitamin D and the oral administration of 250 units of sulodexide every 12 hours. Local therapy was adapted according to the advancement of the ulcer’s stages. This case represents one of non-uremic calciphylaxis determined by an overly lengthy administration of a parathyroid hormone that caused drug-induced hyperthyroidism over a long period of time. A revision of the worldwide literature on the topic was carried out and an etiopathogenetic hypothesis concerning the clinical case is put forward.

Calciphylaxis in a patient without renal failure

Calciphylaxis is a rare disease that typically presents in patients with end-stage renal disease on dialysis or those who have received a renal transplant. Nonuremic calciphylaxis leads to ischemia and subsequent necrosis of subcutaneous tissue. Diseases associated with nonuremic calciphylaxis include primary hyperparathyroidism, connective tissue disease, malignancy, and alcoholic liver disease. Due to its high mortality, early identification and an aggressive multidisciplinary treatment approach is necessary to improve patient outcomes.

[Calcific uremic arteriolopathy in hemodialysis patient, review of literature through five cases reports]

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy, also called calciphylaxis, is a rare and severe disorder that presents with skin ischemia and necrosis, sometimes it presents with systemic necrosis, the process is secondary to the obliteration of the arterioles first by sub-intimal calcium deposits and then by thrombosis. These lesions can often lead to death due to infectious complications and comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, arteritis, diffuse vascular calcifications, heart disease and undernutrition. The diagnosis is suggested by the characteristic ischemic skin lesions and their distribution, often bilateral and painful, associeted with calcific uremic arteriolopathy risk factors (phosphocalcic abnormalities, anti-vitamin K). The presence of radiological vascular calcifications is highly suggesting the diagnosis, but remains not very specific. The indication of skin biopsy is rare and reserved for difficult diagnoses. The goals of treatment are: reduce the extension of calcification and treatment of mineral and bone metabolism disorders of end-stage renal disease, dialysis adequacy, local treatment of skin lesions, tissue oxygenation, pain management, discontinuation and contraindication of medications that may contribute to the disorder. We propose to discuss it from a review of the literature and illustrate it with five clinical cases.

Calciphylaxis in patients with chronic kidney disease: A disease which is still bewildering and potentially fatal

Calciphylaxis, also known as calcific uraemic arteriolopathy, is a rare syndrome that typically causes skin necrosis and usually affects dialysis patients. Its pathogenesis is multifactorial and is the consequence of many factors causing ectopic calcifications in patients with chronic kidney disease, such as calcium-phosphate metabolism disorders, hyper- or hypo-parathyroidism, diabetes, obesity, systemic inflammation and the use of vitamin K antagonists, among others. From a clinical point of view, calciphylaxis may progress from painful purpura to extensive areas of skin necrosis that can potentially lead to superinfection and the death of the patient due to sepsis. Treatment is primarily based on managing the wounds, eliminating all the possible precipitating factors of ectopic calcification and administering agents which are capable of inhibiting the process of calcification.