Calcium Deposits
By Philip Clements, M.D., M.P.H., UCLA School of Medicine,
Dept. of Rheumatology (originally published in "Scleroderma
Voice," Spring 2001)
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Philip
Clements , M.D., M.P.H. |
Calcium deposits (calcifications or calcinosis) in the soft
tissues are common in scleroderma, particularly late in the
course (40% of persons who have had scleroderma for longer
than 10 years may have calcinosis). Most occur in patients
who have had systemic sclerosis for at least 5 years.
The calcium deposits may be obvious "lumps" around
the elbows, shins, and fingers or they may be hidden in the
tissues, requiring an x-ray to find them.
When these deposits break through the skin they may appear
as grains of sand or as a white gooey paste, like toothpaste.
They result from tissue damage from scleroderma and are not
the result of taking too much calcium in the diet. Patients
with osteoporosis (usually postmenopausal females) should
continue to take oral calcium to maintain the calcium in their
bones, even if they have calcium deposits in the soft tissues.
Unfortunately there is not a magic remedy which can prevent
the deposits or make them go away once they are there.
Occasionally calcium deposits can cause pain, redness and
swelling which looks like an infection. A course of antibiotics
is frequently given on the presumption that there is an infection.
The redness and swelling, however, can be the result of a
noninfectious inflammatory reaction to the calcium itself.
In that case oral colchicine once or twice a day may help
reduce the inflammation from these deposits. The colchicine
can be stopped once the inflammation subsides. |
