Tumoral calcinosis associated with hypercalcemia in a patient with chronic renal failure

Abstract

A 56-year-old male with chronic renal failure was admitted to the hospital because of progressive hip pain, appetite loss, general fatigue, and hypercalcemia. Slight pain had developed in the left hip 3 months before the initiation of hemodialysis, which subsequently developed into hyperalgesia. The patient was suspected to have sarcoidosis based on the elevated serum angiotensin-converting enzyme and lysozyme levels, and the ocular finding characterized by punched out chorioretinal scarring, although this could not be confirmed by histological evaluations. There was an abnormal uptake of gallium in the dependent portion of the tumoral calcinosis, which could have suggested either the presence of granulomatous sarcoid tissue within the calcified mass or active calcification associated with an inflammatory reaction. Elevated serum concentrations of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3, which should be implicated in the development of hypercalcemia, promptly decreased after the administration of steroids. Steroid administration subsequently led to a decrease in the serum calcium and relief of the hip pain. This was a rare case of sarcoidosis associated with symptomatic tumoral calcinosis and hypercalcemia. The diagnostic significance of a gallium scan in this case will also be discussed.