Pivotal Role of Paricalcitol in the Treatment of Calcific Uremic Arteriolopathy in the Presence of a Parathyroid Adenoma

Abstract

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy, or calciphylaxis, is a serious and life-threatening complication of end-stage renal disease. Its pathogenesis is not yet fully elucidated and treatment is controversial. In the presence of severe hyperparathyroidism, parathyroidectomy should be considered. We report a case of a woman on maintenance hemodialysis therapy with calciphylaxis and parathyroid adenoma who refused to undergo parathyroidectomy. She was treated successfully with a combination of noncalcium phosphate binders, cinacalcet, and paricalcitol. Subcutaneous plaques disappeared, and the necrotic lesion was healed. Discontinuation of paricalcitol led to an increase in serum parathyroid hormone levels and reappearance of the patient's symptoms, whereas its reintroduction resulted in complete remission of the clinical picture. Paricalcitol, a less calcemic vitamin D analogue, is also a selective vitamin D receptor activator with a number of nonclassic actions (such as inhibition of inflammation and ossification-calcification) that could prove beneficial in cases of calciphylaxis.