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Review
. 2014 Fall;14(3):380-5.

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy in end stage renal disease: pathophysiology and management

Preethi Yerram  1 , Kunal Chaudhary  2
Affiliations
Review

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy in end stage renal disease: pathophysiology and management

Preethi Yerram et al. Ochsner J. 2014 Fall.

Abstract

Background: Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), a debilitating condition with high morbidity and mortality, is most commonly seen in patients with kidney disease. The pathophysiology of CUA is multifactorial, leading to a disruption in the balance between factors that promote and those that inhibit calcification, although the exact pathophysiological mechanisms of CUA remain to be elucidated.

Methods: This review provides an overview of the pathophysiology, clinical presentation and diagnosis, and treatment of CUA.

Results: Diagnosis of CUA requires a high degree of suspicion; skin biopsy with histological examination remains the gold standard to confirm the diagnosis. Treatment of CUA requires a multidisciplinary approach.

Conclusion: With a high degree of clinical suspicion and early diagnosis, an aggressive multifactorial treatment approach involving optimal wound management, minimization/avoidance of risk factors and precipitating causes, and correction of calcium-phosphorus abnormalities can significantly improve patient outcomes.

Keywords: Calciphylaxis; hyperparathyroidism; sodium thiosulfate; vascular calcification; wound healing.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial or proprietary interest in the subject matter of this article.

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