Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsTypes and CausesDiagnosisTreatment
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Types and Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Calcinosis cutis is not always serious but, depending on the underlying cause, can be a sign of a serious medical condition. This is why it is important to see a healthcare provider if you find hardened deposits under your skin.
This article explains the symptoms, causes, and diagnosis of calcinosis cutis as well as the current options for treatment.
Reproduced with permission from ©DermNet NZ www.dermnetnz.org 2022
Calcinosis Cutis Symptoms
Calcinosis cutis causes small, hard, white or yellowish lumps under the skin. The lumps can vary in size and often appear in clusters. They are generally slow-growing and often start with redness or itching. Even so, most people have no symptoms before the lumps appear.
Calcinosis cutis can occur anywhere on the body but is most common on:
The lesions usually cause no pain but can be upsetting if they appear on the face. In rare cases, calcium can build up within joints. If the skin lesions break open or are punctured, a pasty substance may drain out.
Some forms of calcinosis cutis are non-progressive and many have little impact on a person’s life or appearance. Others can progress and lead to potentially serious complications, including:
What Is Calcific Tendonitis?
Types and Causes of Calcinosis Cutis
Calcinosis cutis can occur when excessive amounts ofcalciumorphosphateaccumulate in the body and are not excreted in urine as they should.
Calcium and phosphate are minerals that the body needs to function. They are involved in building bones, maintaining heart rhythm, and other key bodily functions.
The condition can also occur when tissue damage triggers the release of proteins that bind calcium in clumps.
There are four major types of calcinosis cutis:
Dysmorphic Calcinosis Cutis
Dysmorphic calcinosis cutis occurs when damaged tissues release proteins that bind calcium and phosphate, creating clumps that gradually increase in size. The termdysmorphictranslates to “abnormal shape.”
Causes include autoimmune diseases likelupus,rheumatoid arthritis, andsclerodermaas well as inflammatory conditions like acne and varicose veins. Severe burns, lacerations, and bacterial skin infections can also lead to dysmorphic calcinosis cutis.
Iatrogenic Calcinosis Cutis
Iatrogenic calcinosis cutis is also common in organ transplant recipients who receive compounds like sucralfate that increase blood calcium levels.
Metastatic Calcinosis Cutis
Metastatic calcinosis cutis occurs when calcium or phosphate levels are high but there is no tissue damage. When phosphate levels are high, they naturally bind to calcium.
The termmetastatictypically refers to the spread of cancer from the original tumor. But with metastatic calcinosis cutis, the term includes other conditions that are malignant (progressively worsening), including:
Idiopathic Calcinosis Cutis
Idiopathic calcinosis cutisoccurs when calcium and phosphate levels are normal and no cause for the condition is found. The termidiopathicdescribes diseases or disorders of unknown origin. Genetics is thought to play a central role in idiopathic calcinosis cutis.
Examples of idiopathic calcinosis include:
1:44Click Play to Learn All About Calcium Deposits on the Skin
1:44
Click Play to Learn All About Calcium Deposits on the Skin
How Calcinosis Cutis Is Diagnosed
The diagnosis of calcinosis cutis starts with an examination of the skin and a review of your medical history. Blood tests will be ordered to see if your calcium or phosphate levels are high.
The doctor may order other blood tests to see if an underlying disease is involved. The tests may include:
Imaging studies, includingcomputed tomography (CT)scans andbone scans, can determine the extent of the calcium deposits.
How Are Calcium Deposits on the Skin Treated?
Because there are many different causes for calcinosis cutis, there are many possible treatments. With that said, treatment may not be needed if the deposits are not causing discomfort or distress.
In some cases, calcinosis cutis will clear on its own once the underlying condition is treated or the underlying trigger (like excessive vitamin D or calcium intake) is removed. Others may clear spontaneously for no known reason.
Home Remedies and Lifestyle
What may be arguably more effective is avoiding things that can lead to calcinosis cutis, including:
Prescription Medications
The steroid drug prednisone and anti-inflammatory drugColcrys (colchicine)can reduce inflammation and shrink calcium deposits. The blood thinnerwarfarinhas similar effects.
Procedures
To get the best long-term results, your healthcare provider will need to treat the root cause of your symptoms. However, the lesions can be removed or reduced for cosmetic purposes or if they are affecting joint mobility.
Options include:
Never Pop Calcified LesionsYou should never pop a calcified skin lesion. Because the hardened lump isn’t neatly situated in a pore like a pimple is, you have to literally break the skin to extract it. This can easily introduce bacteria into underlying tissues, increasing the risk of infection, skin ulcers, and permanent scarring.
Never Pop Calcified Lesions
You should never pop a calcified skin lesion. Because the hardened lump isn’t neatly situated in a pore like a pimple is, you have to literally break the skin to extract it. This can easily introduce bacteria into underlying tissues, increasing the risk of infection, skin ulcers, and permanent scarring.
How to Treat Calcified Fibroids
Summary
Calcinosis cutis is the deposit of calcium under the skin that causes firm whitish or yellowish bumps. It can be caused either when the level of calcium or phosphate in the body is high or when skin trauma causes the body to release proteins that bind calcium into clumps.
The diagnosis may involve a physical exam, blood tests, imaging studies, and a biopsy. If needed, calcinosis cutis can be treated with drugs like calcium channel blockers, prednisone, or colchicine. The lesions can be removed with surgery, lasers, or other procedures.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Roberts L, Kiss N, Madvecz M, Kuroli E, Sardy M, Hidvegl B.Epidemiology and treatment of calcinosis cutis: 13 years of experience.Indian J Dermatol. 2020 Mar-Apr;65(2):205–11. doi:10.4103/ijd.IJD_527_18Le C, Bedocs PM.Calcinosis cutis. In:StatPearls [Internet].Hoeltzel MF, Oberle EJ, Robinson AB, Agarwal A, Rider LG.The presentation, assessment, pathogenesis, and treatment of calcinosis in juvenile dermatomyositis.Curr Rheumatol Rep.2014 Dec;16(12):467. doi:10.1007/s11926-014-0467-yAtik D, Atik C, Karatepe C.The effect of external apple vinegar application on varicosity symptoms, pain, and social appearance anxiety: a randomized controlled trial.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2016;2016:6473678. doi:10.1155/2016/6473678Traineau H, Aggarwal R, Monfort JB, et al.Treatment of calcinosis cutis in systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis: a review of the literature.J Am Acad Dermatol.2020 Feb;82(2):317-25. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.07.006
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Roberts L, Kiss N, Madvecz M, Kuroli E, Sardy M, Hidvegl B.Epidemiology and treatment of calcinosis cutis: 13 years of experience.Indian J Dermatol. 2020 Mar-Apr;65(2):205–11. doi:10.4103/ijd.IJD_527_18Le C, Bedocs PM.Calcinosis cutis. In:StatPearls [Internet].Hoeltzel MF, Oberle EJ, Robinson AB, Agarwal A, Rider LG.The presentation, assessment, pathogenesis, and treatment of calcinosis in juvenile dermatomyositis.Curr Rheumatol Rep.2014 Dec;16(12):467. doi:10.1007/s11926-014-0467-yAtik D, Atik C, Karatepe C.The effect of external apple vinegar application on varicosity symptoms, pain, and social appearance anxiety: a randomized controlled trial.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2016;2016:6473678. doi:10.1155/2016/6473678Traineau H, Aggarwal R, Monfort JB, et al.Treatment of calcinosis cutis in systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis: a review of the literature.J Am Acad Dermatol.2020 Feb;82(2):317-25. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.07.006
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Roberts L, Kiss N, Madvecz M, Kuroli E, Sardy M, Hidvegl B.Epidemiology and treatment of calcinosis cutis: 13 years of experience.Indian J Dermatol. 2020 Mar-Apr;65(2):205–11. doi:10.4103/ijd.IJD_527_18Le C, Bedocs PM.Calcinosis cutis. In:StatPearls [Internet].Hoeltzel MF, Oberle EJ, Robinson AB, Agarwal A, Rider LG.The presentation, assessment, pathogenesis, and treatment of calcinosis in juvenile dermatomyositis.Curr Rheumatol Rep.2014 Dec;16(12):467. doi:10.1007/s11926-014-0467-yAtik D, Atik C, Karatepe C.The effect of external apple vinegar application on varicosity symptoms, pain, and social appearance anxiety: a randomized controlled trial.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2016;2016:6473678. doi:10.1155/2016/6473678Traineau H, Aggarwal R, Monfort JB, et al.Treatment of calcinosis cutis in systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis: a review of the literature.J Am Acad Dermatol.2020 Feb;82(2):317-25. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.07.006
Roberts L, Kiss N, Madvecz M, Kuroli E, Sardy M, Hidvegl B.Epidemiology and treatment of calcinosis cutis: 13 years of experience.Indian J Dermatol. 2020 Mar-Apr;65(2):205–11. doi:10.4103/ijd.IJD_527_18
Le C, Bedocs PM.Calcinosis cutis. In:StatPearls [Internet].
Hoeltzel MF, Oberle EJ, Robinson AB, Agarwal A, Rider LG.The presentation, assessment, pathogenesis, and treatment of calcinosis in juvenile dermatomyositis.Curr Rheumatol Rep.2014 Dec;16(12):467. doi:10.1007/s11926-014-0467-y
Atik D, Atik C, Karatepe C.The effect of external apple vinegar application on varicosity symptoms, pain, and social appearance anxiety: a randomized controlled trial.Evid Based Complement Alternat Med.2016;2016:6473678. doi:10.1155/2016/6473678
Traineau H, Aggarwal R, Monfort JB, et al.Treatment of calcinosis cutis in systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis: a review of the literature.J Am Acad Dermatol.2020 Feb;82(2):317-25. doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2019.07.006
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