Penile calciphilaxys: rare comorbidity in hemodialysis patients

Abstract

Calciphylaxis represents a very severe and life-threatening clinical condition that occurs mostly but non exclusively in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) on renal replacement therapy. It affects about 1–4% of the dialytic population and has very high mortality (60–80%). It is clinically characterized by the presence of ischemic ulcers of the skin and necrosis resulting in the development of dystrophic calcification of small and medium size subcutaneous arteries. Penile involvement is rare and about 40 reports have described in literature until now. In the present paper we describes the case of 50 years old patient followed in our hospital who developed this serious and, unfortunately, fatal clinical complication.