Idiopathic circumscripta calcinosis cutis of the knee.
BACKGROUND
Calcinosis cutis, a disease characterized by the presence of calcium deposits in the skin, is classified into four types according to etiology: dystrophic, metastatic, iatrogenic and idiopathic. The dystrophic form is the most common while the idiopathic one is the rarest, but specific incidence and frequency data are not available in scientific literature.


OBJECTIVE
Calcinosis cutis circumscripta is a very rare form of idiopathic calcinosis cutis arising in the second half of life. It typically involves the extremities and is associated with prior trauma and scleroderma. We dealt with a very rare form of calcinosis cutis circumscripta in a healthy patient, for whom surgical excision revealed to be an effective and successful treatment.


METHODS
We present the case of a 46-year-old woman affected by idiopathic circumscripta calcinosis cutis of the left knee, successfully treated by surgical removal.


CONCLUSIONS
Medical and surgical treatment are options to cure calcinosis cutis. Medical therapy is not very effective. Surgical excision has shown to be beneficial, as it can provide a symptomatic relief. However, since calcinosis cutis limits are not always well defined a recurrence of the lesions may occur.
Valdatta
Luigi
L
Plastic Surgery Unit, University of Insubria, Ospedale di Circolo, Fondazione Macchi, Varese, Italy. chirplas@libero.it
Buoro
Mara
M
Thione
Alessandro
A
Mortarino
Christian
C
Tuinder
Stefania
S
Fidanza
Carlo
C
Dainese
Emanuele
E
D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007717:Knee; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000473:pathology*