Hemodialysis Patient with Diffuse Liver Calcification After Septic Shock

BACKGROUND Calcification in arteries is sometimes observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis; however, ectopic calcification in other organs is uncommon. In particular, diffuse liver calcification is very rare. We report a case of rapidly developing diffuse liver calcification in a patient undergoing hemodialysis. CASE REPORT An 82-year-old woman started hemodialysis because of diabetic nephropathy, and her renal function worsened due to acute coronary syndrome. Percutaneous coronary intervention was conducted, and she was referred to our hospital. However, she subsequently contracted various infections, including a urinary tract infection and pneumonia. On day 43 of hospitalization, she developed septic shock and liver dysfunction due to catheter-induced infection. Although she did not have any medical history of liver disease, hypoperfusion of the liver resulted in liver dysfunction, and a computed tomography scan conducted 3 months later showed diffuse calcification in her liver. Despite recovering from septic shock, she ultimately died of multiple organ failure 21 months after admission to our hospital. CONCLUSIONS Diffuse liver calcification is extremely rare; however, it can be observed in patients undergoing hemodialysis who experience liver hypoperfusion. The precise mechanisms underlying this disorder remain unknown, but a critically ill status and specific characteristics of hemodialysis patients may play important roles in liver calcification.