Abstract
Calciphylaxis, also known as calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA), is a rare and life-threatening disorder that usually occurs in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and less frequently in non-uremic patients [1–3].
The term calciphylaxis, first coined by Dr. Seyle in 1961, literally means “protection by calcification.” Dr. Seyle described calciphylaxis in rats as an adaptive (phylatic) response that leads to calcium deposition in the affected tissues [4]. In 1963, Eisenberg and Bartholow reported a case of extensive metastatic calcification in a patient with chronic renal failure, which represented the human counterpart of calciphylaxis [5]. Over the course of the following years several cases of calciphylaxis have been described [6–10].