Warfarin-induced calciphylaxis in patients with normal renal function.
OBJECTIVE
Calciphylaxis is a rare and potentially life-threatening cause of skin necrosis and is poorly recognized by clinicians in non-uraemic patients.


METHODS
We report five cases of warfarin-induced calciphylaxis in patients with normal renal function. In four cases, sodium thiosulphate was successfully used as a treatment. No other predisposing factors besides obesity and warfarin were found in these patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Previously only few cases of solely warfarin-induced calciphylaxis have been described. Treatment with sodium thiosulphate has shown promising results, and there is thus a need to improve the recognition of calciphylaxis.
Department of Dermatology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.|PEDEGO Research Unit and MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
L
L
Huilaja
Research Unit of Biomedicine and MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.|Administration Center, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
M
M
Turpeinen
Department of Pathology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.|Department of Pathology, Cancer and Translational Medicine Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
H
H
Tokola
Department of Internal Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
H
H
Kauma
Department of Dermatology, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.|PEDEGO Research Unit and MRC Oulu, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland.
K
K
Tasanen
Department of Internal Medicine, Oulu University Hospital, Oulu, Finland.
R
R
Ikäheimo
adverse effect; calciphylaxis; chronic ulcer; sodium thiosulphate; warfarin