title: Calciphylaxis as a Catastrophic Complication in a Patient with POEMS Syndrome.
abstract: Calciphylaxis is a vascular calcification-cutaneous necrosis syndrome, usually seen in patients with end-stage renal disease and secondary hyperparathyroidism. We report a 57-year-old polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, monoclonal gammopathy, and skin changes (POEMS) syndrome patient complicated with extensive skin ulcers due to calciphylaxis. He first noted a painful cutaneous ulcer on his left thigh, and then skin lesions rapidly worsened, resulting in multiple intractable ulcers with gangrene on his legs and trunk in a few months. Serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) was markedly elevated. Biopsy samples from his skin ulcers showed the deposition of calcium in the medial layer of cutaneous vessels, this finding being compatible with calciphylaxis. This is the second reported case with POEMS syndrome complicated with calciphylaxis. Both patients had no evidence of renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, or clotting disorders. The pathogenic link between POEMS syndrome and calciphylaxis is still unclear, but VEGF is known to regulate vascular calcification, in cooperation with bone morphogenetic proteins. Further, corticosteroid and several proinflammatory cytokines activate nuclear factor-κB pathway, known as the final common pathway leading to vascular calcification. Taken together, we consider that POEMS syndrome can be an independent risk condition for calciphylaxis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (Neurology and Rheumatology), Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiyo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hineno
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Michiaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Fuyuko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arakura
authors.forename: Ko-Suke
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimojima
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Matsuda
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Shu-Ichi
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Ikeda