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Calcification of Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells and Imaging of Aortic Calcification and Inflammation
Published on: May 31, 2016
Case report: Metastatic cardiac calcifications in a patient with a history of rickets
Matias Lopez Avecilla1, Mariana Corneli1, Gisela Killinger1
1Departamento de Diagnóstico por Imágenes en Cardiología, Centro Diagnóstico Dr Enrique Rossi, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Background:
Metastatic cardiac calcifications are often seen in patients with renal failure and dialysis associated with vascular calcification and calcifications in other organs. There is little to no evidence of metastatic cardiac calcification in patients with a history of rickets.
Case Summary:
A 40-year-old patient with a history of rickets treated in infancy and no personal history of cardiovascular or renal disease came for a periodical examination. Transthoracic echocardiogram showed an important calcification in the mitral annulus and the mitro-aortic junction. Computed tomography (CT) showed marked calcification affecting the heart fibrous skeleton. Coronary arteries were not affected.
Discussion:
Distribution of heart calcification seen both with echocardiography and CT is important to report so they can be identified as dystrophic or metastatic. These two have different aetiologies so the description may help identify the possible cause.
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