Fever as a Presentation of Tumoral Calcinosis: A Case Report

Abstract

Tumoral calcinosis (TC) is a rare condition in which there is periarticular calcium deposition in the soft tissue forming a mass. The most common locations of TC are the larger joints such as the hip, shoulder, and knee, as well as the hands and wrists. Patients will often present with localized swelling, pain, and reduced joint mobility. We will discuss a 48-year-old male on hemodialysis who presented with a fever of unknown source and diffuse joint pain. He was found to have progressive, multiple tumor-like swellings on his shoulders, hands, and knees. He was diagnosed with TC and managed with a high dose phosphate binder with resolution of his fever and improvement in his pain.(International Journal of Biomedicine. 2018;8(1):75-78.)

Inflammatory Tumoral Calcinosis in a Dialysis Patient

“…Poor control of calcium and phosphorus contributes to the development of TC s (1). It rarely causes a fever, and the underlying patho-physiology is unclear (2). The fact that improved control of the Ca × P product value led to remission in this case suggests that the uptake of Ca and P may contribute to the inflammatory process.…”