[Reversible calcification of skeletal muscles in acute renal failure (author's transl)]

The clinical course in two patients with acute renal failure and focal calcifications of skeletal muscle are reported. In the first case renal failure was due to a hypovolemia or shock combined with supercooling and alcoholic intoxication. In the second case a rhabdomyolytic crisis with myoglobinuria occurred. This patient was known to have a McArdle disease. Dialysis treatment was necessary in both cases in order to overcome the oligoanuric phase. Biopsy specimens from biceps muscle showed intense calcium deposits within the necrotic muscle fibres. In the beginning of oliguria remarkable hypocalcemia occurred followed by hypercalcemia. During the polyuric phase which was accompanied by hypercalcemia and hypercalcuria the calcium deposits disappeared completely. This could be demonstrated in our first case by a control biopsy.