Background: Calciphylaxis often referred to as calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) is a rare and serious complication with limited treatment options. Kidney transplantation restores kidney function and may thus be a treatment for CUA. However, with active lesions and open necrotic wounds kidney transplantation is challenging and not generally accepted. We present three patients who were treated for CUA with urgent kidney transplantation.

Methods: Data were retrieved from Hospital records

Results: All three patients had a kidney transplant about a decade earlier and had chronic graft failure when CUA developed. One patient had nephrosclerosis and two had AA amylodiosis as primary kidney disease. Two of these patients were established in hemodialysis at the time of debut of lesions, the third patient started hemodialysis treatment when the lesions appeared. The lesions occurred in the lower limbs in all three patients. Biopsies of the lesions were compatible with CUA. One patient had the debut of lesions after warfarin treatment for pulmonary embolism. Multidiciplinary care was given for the lesions without significant improvement . They were all put on an urgent waitlist for kidney transplantation and received a kidney after 2 to 4 weeks. The lesions healed completely within 6 weeks in two patients . In the third patient partial healing was seen after 2 months and almost complete healing after 4 months.

Conclusions: These cases show that restoration of kidney function by urgent KTX may be an efficient treatment for ESRD patients with CUA.

CITATION INFORMATION: Nordheim E, Dahle D, Syse I, Åsberg A, Reisæter A, Holdaas H, Jenssen T, Hartmann A. Urgent Kidney Transplantation as Successful Treatment of Calciphylaxis in Three Patients with End-Stage Kidney Failure. Am J Transplant. 2016;16 (suppl 3).

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