Related Experiment Videos
Tumoral calcinosis: radiologic-pathologic correlation
L S Steinbach1, J O Johnston, E F Tepper
1Department of Radiology, University of California San Francisco 94143, USA.
Objective:
Tumoral calcinosis is a frequently misdiagnosed disorder. This study details the radiologic and pathologic characteristics of tumoral calcinosis that distinguish it from most other entities.
Design:
Radiologic and pathologic findings, and medical records of 12 patients with tumoral calcinosis were reviewed and compared with equivalent information about 5 patients with other calcified lesions.
Patients:
The 12 patients ranged in age from 15 months to 62 years. Six had idiopathic tumoral calcinosis and 6 had secondary tumoral calcinosis.
Results And Conclusions:
A consistent radiologic finding for tumoral calcinosis was a dense calcified mass that was homogeneous except for a "chicken wire" pattern of lucencies, which correlated histologically with thin fibrous septae. Other characteristics of tumoral calcinosis included fluid-calcium levels, demonstrated in four patients, and smooth osseous erosions adjacent to the mass, demonstrated in three patients. Five cases of tumoral calcinosis were originally confused with other calcified lesions; however, the radiologic findings were characteristic of tumoral calcinosis in retrospect.