Ym. Barri et al., CALCIPHYLAXIS IN A PATIENT WITH CROHNS-DISEASE IN THE ABSENCE OF END-STAGE RENAL-DISEASE, American journal of kidney diseases, 29(5), 1997, pp. 773-776
Calciphylaxis is a rare and life-threatening condition of progressive
cutaneous necrosis secondary to small and medium-sized vessel calcific
ation previously described in patients with end-stage renal disease an
d hyperparathyroidism, Early diagnosis may be important in improving t
he poor outcome in these patients since early intervention may foresta
ll the development of life-threatening complications. We describe a pa
tient with Crohn's disease complicated by short-bowel syndrome and mod
est renal insufficiency (not requiring renal replacement therapy) who
developed calciphylaxis. It appears that longstanding Crohn's disease
and the short-bowel syndrome accelerated the development of calciphyla
xis as the chronic renal disease was not end stage. Considering the po
ssibility of calciphylaxis in this setting may avoid delaying the diag
nosis and its consequences. (C) 1997 by the National Kidney Foundation
, Inc.