Surgical treatment of subcutaneous calcifications of polymyositis or dermatomyositis

The "tumoral" calcifications seen with polymyositis and dermatomyositis are frequently large and painful. Many surgeons believe such calcifications should not be removed surgically, arguing that the surgical trauma induces further calcification that is probably ever more severe. However, we believe that surgical removal of these large masses is less traumatic than cyclical, spontaneous extrusion of the calcium with secondary healing. We present 2 patients in whom chronically draining and painful dystrophic calcifications were treated surgically without recurrence.