Successful treatment of extensive uremic calciphylaxis with intravenous sodium thiosulfate and its potential in treating various diseases of pathologic calcification

Acta Dermatovenerol Alp Pannonica Adriat. 2019 Mar;28(1):37-40.

Abstract

A 72-year-old female patient presented with an end-stage renal disease on on-line hemodiafiltration and warfarin therapy with advanced ulcerated calciphylaxis on the lower extremities, complicated by two episodes of cellulitis. She was successfully treated for 8 months with intravenous sodium thiosulfate in combination with modification of medication and dialysis treatment, careful wound care, and other supportive measures. Calciphylaxis is an uncommon life-threatening systemic disease, mostly occurring in patients with chronic kidney disease and other risk factors. Vascular calcifications and inflammation lead to thrombotic occlusions of the cutaneous and subcutaneous arterioles, which provoke livedoid painful plaques with possible progression to necrotic ulcers. Conventional treatment is supportive. In recent decades, off-label treatment with sodium thiosulfate, a potent calcium chelator, antioxidant, and vasodilator, has been increasingly reported to be highly efficient in calciphylaxis, leading to significantly lower mortality rates. Knowledge of advancement in the treatment of calciphylaxis, which was previously a highly fatal disease, is important for physicians and other professionals from various medical fields.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Calciphylaxis / complications*
  • Calciphylaxis / pathology*
  • Calciphylaxis / physiopathology
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Infusions, Intravenous
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / drug therapy*
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / etiology*
  • Kidney Failure, Chronic / physiopathology
  • Leg Ulcer / etiology
  • Leg Ulcer / pathology
  • Leg Ulcer / physiopathology
  • Nephrocalcinosis / etiology*
  • Nephrocalcinosis / physiopathology
  • Rare Diseases
  • Renal Dialysis / methods
  • Risk Assessment
  • Severity of Illness Index
  • Slovenia
  • Thiosulfates / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Thiosulfates
  • sodium thiosulfate