Continued awareness expedites diagnosis in calciphylaxis

In patients with calciphylaxis, diagnostic delay and complications have dropped over time, according to a study. In addition, the number of deaths has decreased in recent years. These findings stress the importance of awareness to speed up diagnosis.

In this retrospective cohort study, the authors examined the factors associated with diagnostic delay of calciphylaxis and analysed morbidity outcomes. They also provided updates on mortality rates.

A total of 302 adult patients diagnosed with calciphylaxis between 1 January 2006 and 31 December 2022 were included in the retrospective review. The authors conducted univariate and multivariate statistical analyses.

Increased diagnostic delay significantly correlated with non-nephrogenic calciphylaxis (p=0.0004) and involvement of the fingers (p=0.0001), while involvement of the arms (p=0.01) and genitalia (p=0.022) were associated with fewer days to diagnosis. Nearly all patients with genitalia, finger, or toe involvement had nephrogenic disease.

The number of complications per patient, particularly wound infections (p=0.028), increase in lesion number (p=0.012), and recurrent hospitalizations (p=0.020), lessened over time.

The updated rates of mortality at 1 year were 36.70 percent for nephrogenic calciphylaxis and 30.77 percent for non-nephrogenic calciphylaxis.

This study was limited by its retrospective design and use of data from a single centre.

“Calciphylaxis patients historically have experienced diagnostic challenges and high morbidity,” the authors said.