Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
Published on: May 31, 2016
"Milk of calcium": a rare presentation of calcinosis
Tania Caroline Monteiro de Castro1, Roberto Guarniero2, Maria Fernanda de Azevedo Giacomin3
1Hospital Infantil Municipal Menino Jesus, São Paulo, SP, Brasil.
Abstract:
Rheumatic diseases such as juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM), juvenile sistemic lupus erythematosus (JSLE) and sistemic sclerosis may have calcium deposits in the subcutaneous and muscle tissues known as calcinosis. Extensive calcium-laden fluid collections referred as "milk of calcium" are rare forms of calcinosis in JDM. We describe a 15-year old patient with overlap syndrome (sclerodermatomyositis and JSLE), whose magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed perimusculares fluid collections in the lower limbs. During surgery, we observed the presence of whitish fluid collection suggestive of "milk of calcium".
Related Concept Videos
Synthesis and Functions of Calcitonin
The exact mechanisms by which calcitonin operates in calcium homeostasis remain elusive, but its significance is evident in several vital...
Skeleton and Calcium Homeostasis
Role of Skin in Vitamin D Synthesis
The solar UV B rays (290-315 nm) are absorbed by the skin, and 7-dehydrocholesterol (provitamin D3) photolyzes it to previtamin D3, which undergoes a rapid transformation to vitamin...
The Bone Matrix
The Parathyroid Glands
Oxyphil cells, whose functions remain elusive, emerge during late puberty, adding a layer of complexity to the parathyroid gland's intricacies. In contrast, principal parathyroid cells undertake a vital role by...
Cirrhosis I: Introduction

