Curious case of calciphylaxis leading to acute mitral regurgitation

Calciphylaxis and Kidney Disease: A Review

Calciphylaxis is a life-threatening complication most often associated with chronic kidney disease that occurs as a result of the deposition of calcium in dermal and adipose microvasculature. However, this condition may also be seen in patients with acute kidney injury. The high morbidity and mortality rates associated with calciphylaxis highlight the importance to correctly diagnose and treat this condition. However, calciphylaxis remains a diagnosis that may be clinically challenging to make. Here, we review the literature on uremic calciphylaxis with a focus on its pathophysiology, clinical presentation, advances in diagnostic tools, and treatment strategies. We also discuss the unique histopathological features of calciphylaxis and contrast it with those of other forms of general vessel calcification. This review emphasizes the need for multidisciplinary collaboration including nephrology, dermatology, and palliative care to ultimately provide the best possible care to patients with 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.

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.

Sodium thiosulfate and pamidronate for treatment of calciphylaxis: case report

INTRODUCTION

Calciphylaxis is an infrequent disease that almost exclusively affects patients with chronic kidney disease, although cases have been observed in patients without renal function impairment. The diagnosis is mainly made by clinical manifestations and subsequently confirmed by radiological and histological study. The optimal treatment is not known, although there is a consensus that a multifactorial approach is required.

CLINICAL CASE

A 68-year-old woman on hemodialysis for 2 years, who presented a painful nodular lesion in the left thigh, a skin biopsy was performed resulting in a diagnosis of calciphylaxis.

TREATMENT AND OUTCOME

Treatment was started with intravenous sodium thiosulfate. Pamidronate is added intravenously, three months later, due to an unfavorable evolution. After 6 months of treatment, improvement in nodular lesions and healing of the ulcerated lesion was observed to be generally well tolerated treatment.

CONCLUSION

The combined treatment of sodium thiosulfate, pamidronate and calcitomimetics has been effectiveand safe for the treatment of calciphylaxis, inducing complete remission.

Sodium thiosulfate and pamidronate for treatment of calciphylaxis: case report

Introduction: Calciphylaxis is an infrequent disease that almost exclusively affects patients with chronic kidney disease, although cases have been observed in patients without renal function impairment. The diagnosis is mainly made by clinical manifestations and subsequently confirmed by radiological and histological study. The optimal treatment is not known, although there is a consensus that a multifactorial approach is required. Clinical Case: A 68-year-old woman on hemodialysis for 2 years, who presented a painful nodular lesion in the left thigh, a skin biopsy was performed resulting in a diagnosis of calciphylaxis. Treatment and Outcome: Treatment was started with intravenous sodium thiosulfate. Pamidronate is added intravenously, three months later, due to an unfavorable evolution. After 6 months of treatment, improvement in nodular lesions and healing of the ulcerated lesion was observed to be generally well tolerated treatment. Conclusion: The combined treatment of sodium thiosulfate, pamidronate and calcitomimetics has been effectiveand safe for the treatment of calciphylaxis, inducing complete remission.

Metformin improves cardiac function in mice with heart failure after myocardial infarction by regulating mitochondrial energy metabolism

To investigate whether metformin can improve the cardiac function through improving the mitochondrial function in model of heart failure after myocardial infarction. Male C57/BL6 mice aged about 8 weeks were selected and the anterior descending branch was ligatured to establish the heart failure model after myocardial infarction. The cardiac function was evaluated via ultrasound after 3 days to determine the modeling was successful, and the mice were randomly divided into two groups. Saline group (Saline) received the intragastric administration of normal saline for 4 weeks, and metformin group (Met) received the intragastric administration of metformin for 4 weeks. At the same time, Shame group (Sham) was set up. Changes in cardiac function in mice were detected at 4 weeks after operation. Hearts were taken from mice after 4 weeks, and cell apoptosis in myocardial tissue was detected using TUNEL method; fresh mitochondria were taken and changes in oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and respiratory control rate (RCR) of mitochondria in each group were detected using bio-energy metabolism tester, and change in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) of myocardial tissue was detected via JC-1 staining; the expressions and changes in Bcl-2, Bax, Sirt3, PGC-1α and acetylated PGC-1α in myocardial tissue were detected by Western blot. RT-PCR was used to detect mRNA levels in Sirt3 in myocardial tissues. Metformin improved the systolic function of heart failure model rats after myocardial infarction and reduced the apoptosis of myocardial cells after myocardial infarction. Myocardial mitochondrial respiratory function and membrane potential were decreased after myocardial infarction, and metformin treatment significantly improved the mitochondrial respiratory function and mitochondrial membrane potential; Metformin up-regulated the expression of Sirt3 and the activity of PGC-1α in myocardial tissue of heart failure after myocardial infarction. Metformin decreases the acetylation level of PGC-1α through up-regulating Sirt3, mitigates the damage to mitochondrial membrane potential of model of heart failure after myocardial infarction and improves the respiratory function of mitochondria, thus improving the cardiac function of mice.