Calcific uremic arteriolopathy in association with low turnover uremic bone disease

We report seven cases (out of 100 dialysis patients) at the University of Kentucky who were diagnosed with calciphylaxis syndrome between 1993 and 1998. Of note is the fact that five of these patients had bone biopsy-proven adynamic renal bone disease, rather low intact PTH, and relatively low calcium-phosphorus product. This is in contrast to the previous view that calciphylaxis is usually seen in patients with excessive parathyroid activity. The reemergence of calciphylaxis with renal bone disease is an intriguing finding and does not correspond to earlier reports associating calciphylaxis with hyperparathyroid bone disease. This report reviews the clinical, biochemical, and bone histology findings of these patients, and provides a review of the literature.