Calcific uraemic arteriolopathy, also named calciphylaxis, is a rare but serious 
disorder characterized by medial mural calcification of small vessel leading to 
tissue ischaemia. It most commonly occurs in end stage renal disease patients on 
dialysis or recently received renal transplant with chronic nephropathy 
allograft. The pathogenesis of calciphylaxis is poorly understood. Abnormalities 
in mineral metabolism are clearly involved, but the specific factors that 
induces this disorder are not completely known.
OBJECTIVES: Describe the main clinical features, outcomes and follow up of all 
calciphylaxis cases recorded in our dialysis unit in order to analyse the 
incidence, the main biologic parameters and the therapeutic background in which 
calciphylaxis appeared.
MATERIAL AND METHODS: We performed a descriptive study about all the 
calciphylaxis cases diagnosed at our dialysis unit between the years 1991 and 
2005.
RESULTS: 8 cases, 6 women. Mean age: 65.3 years. All the patients were on 
haemodialysis treatment (one previous renal transplant). Mean time on dialysis 
was 76.6 months. Cumulative incidence was 1.17%. The principal end stage renal 
disease aethiology was neprhoangioeslerosis in four patients. Secondary 
hiperparatyrhoidism was present in 4 patients and 2 of them had been 
paratyrhoidectomized previously. A second cutaneous biopsy was needed for 
correct diagnosis in 3 patients. Calciphylaxis distal lesions were present in 7 
patients. Two cases required urgent paratyrhoidectomy in order to control 
calciphylaxis. Only in 2 cases a Ca x P product > 60 mg/dL was present and 3 
cases had PTHi values higher than 300 pg/mL. Calcium phosphate binders and 
vitamin D were present in 2 and 4 cases, respectively. One patient with proximal 
calciphylaxis died due to skin injury infection.
CONCLUSIONS: Calciphylaxis is a rare disorder but not exceptional, related to 
end stage renal disease patients. The diagnosis requires a high clinical 
suspicion, being sometimes difficult to distinguish from other entities in spite 
of pathological study. Proximal distribution of calciphylaxis had worst 
prognostic. Metabolic disorders and therapeutics background were not different 
from other patients included in dialysis treatment.