[Tumoral calcinosis at an unusual site in a haemodialysis patient]

Tumour-like calcinosis is a rare cause of tissue calcification in patients on maintenance haemodialysis for chronic renal failure. Its estimated incidence is between 0.5 and 7% of haemodialysis patients.

A 29-year-old male patient was referred to our department with a large cervical mass lesion increasing in size for two months. The patient had been on maintenance haemodialysis for one year for chronic renal failure during which time he reported multiple episodes of cervical trauma. Cervical MRI demonstrated a 11 x 9 cm calcified tumoral mass extending to the cervical muscles and the lower cervical spine (C6, C7, T1), accompanied by C6 osteolysis. Laboratory studies revealed secondary hyperparathyroidism with elevated calcium-phosphorus product. The patient underwent parathyroidectomy and several weeks later, there was a dramatic regression of the tumoral calcinosis. Renal transplantation was performed secondarily with no recurrence of the tumoral calcification after six years of follow-up.

Tumour-like calcinosis of the lower cervical spine with osteolysis of the cervical vertebrae is very rare. The principal contributing factors are hyperparathyroidism, elevation of calcium-phosphorus product and local trauma. Optimal treatment of these calcifications remains controversial. While surgical resection of the mass is commonly recommended, in our case report, despite the initial aggressiveness of the lesion, surgery was not performed and treatment of hyperparathyroidism alone was sufficient to ensure dramatic improvement with complete resolution of the calcinosis within few weeks.