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Updated: Aug 11, 2026
In Vivo, Percutaneous, Needle Based, Optical Coherence Tomography of Renal Masses
Published on: March 30, 2015
Calcinosis cutis in chronic renal failure diagnosed by fine needle aspiration. A case report
Maria A B Reed1, Arlene M de Luna, Jerome S Holaysan
1Division of Cytopathology, Department of Pathology, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
Background:
Deposition of calcium salts in the skin and subcutis, referred to as calcinosis cutis, is a common complication in patients with end-stage renal disease. The lesion can present as a mass and is amenable to fine needle aspiration (FNA).
Case:
A 48-year-old man undergoing hemodialysis following a failed renal transplant presented with a 1.5-cm neck nodule. A diagnosis of calcinosis cutis was made following FNA, which obtained semiliquid, chalky material.
Conclusion:
In cytologic preparations, deposits of calcium salts can be both amorphous and refractile on Diff-Quik and Papanicolaou stain. However, the material may not be birefringent with these stains. Alizarin red S stain for calcium will permit demonstration of the characteristic birefringence.
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