Metastatic calcification is rare; it is found during autopsy in patients who underwent hemodialysis. Diffuse calcium precipitation of small and medium-sized cutaneous vessels, known as calciphylaxis, can result in progressive tissue necrosis secondary to vascular calcification. This condition most commonly involves the skin; however, a rare occurrence of visceral calciphylaxis has been reported. Here we report on an autopsy case. Despite a thorough evaluation, and even performing an autopsy, the underlying cause of acute-onset hypercalcemia, resulting in the production of pulmonary calciphylaxis and metastatic renal calcification associated with acute respiratory and renal failure, could not be determined. Metastatic calcification often lacks specific symptoms, and the degree of calcification is a marker of the severity and chronicity of the disease. This unusual autopsy case emphasizes the importance of rapidly progressing visceral calciphylaxis, as well as its early detection.

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by  

• Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Induced by Parathyroid Storm
  Georgios Zagkotsis, Maria Markou, Panagiota Papanikolaou, Nikolaos Sabanis
  Cureus.2021;[Epub]     CrossRef
• Hypercalcemia as a Biomarker of Poor Prognosis in Frail Elderly Patients with COVID-19
  D. Pamart, M. Otekpo, M. Asfar, G. Duval, J. Gautier, Cédric Annweiler
  The journal of nutrition, health & aging.2021; 25(10): 1140.     CrossRef
• A rare case report of multiple myeloma presenting with paralytic ileus and type II respiratory failure due to hypercalcemic crisis
  Yuchen Guo, Liang He, Yiming Liu, Xueyuan Cao
  Medicine.2017; 96(52): e9215.     CrossRef
• Development of multiorganic calciphylaxis during teriparatide, vitamin D, and calcium treatment
  A. Monegal, P. Peris, M. Alsina, J. Colmenero, N. Guañabens
  Osteoporosis International.2016; 27(8): 2631.     CrossRef
• Calciphylaxis: from the disease to the diseased
  Tiago M. Oliveira, João M. Frazão
  Journal of Nephrology.2015; 28(5): 531.     CrossRef