What are Symptoms of calciphylaxis?
What are Symptoms of calciphylaxis?
- Pain. Most cases of calciphylaxis are very painful. The sensation of pain may start before lesions or any other visible signs appear. The affected areas can also become hypersensitive to pressure or touch, making the pain more intense.
- Lesions (earlier stages). These are areas of skin that become discolored and turn red, purple, brown or black. These lesions usually have a net-like appearance. They may also blister, and the affected area of skin may become hardened and leathery.
- Ulcers and sores (later stages). Lesions usually become wounds that spread outward in star-like shapes. The wounds often have a foul smell. Areas of dead skin and flesh may turn black and take on a scab-like appearance and fall off. These ultimately grow and expand in size.
- Vision problems, internal bleeding and muscle damage. Other problems are possible in rare cases where calcium deposits happen internally and not just beneath the skin. Deposits in the eyes can interfere with vision. Deposits in the internal organs can cause bleeding, and muscle damage is also possible.
- Calcification in major blood vessels and the heart. A common complication of end-stage kidney disease is calcium build-up on major blood vessels and heart valves. When calciphylaxis happens, the risk of this happening is even greater.
When lesions happen, they most often happen in one of two ways:
Central distribution
These are lesions that happen mostly on the abdomen and thighs. They are more common in people who have a higher body mass index and in women.
At least 70% of lesions in uremic calciphylaxis cases have central distribution, while in non-uremic cases about half of the lesions have central distribution. Cases with more central lesions have a higher risk of death.
Peripheral distribution
These are lesions near the ends of your arms and legs, especially on your fingers and toes. When peripheral lesions become advanced, this can lead to amputation to stop the damage from spreading and causing deadly complications.