Calcinosis Circumscripta in the Dog: A Retrospective Pathological Study

Abstract

Calcinosis circumscripta is an uncommon syndrome of ectopic idiopathic, dystrophic, metastatic or iatrogenic mineralization characterized by deposition of calcium salts in soft tissues. This paper is a retrospective study of 77 canine cases. The age of dogs in the study varied from 4 months to 15 years and 55% were <1 year old, 74% <2 years old and 88% <4 years old. Several pure and mixed, typically large breed dogs were affected so that 28.6, 13 and 9% were German Shepherd, Rottweiler and Labrador Retriever respectively. The size of lesions varied from 2 mm to 13 cm in diameter but most lesions were between 0.5 cm and 3 cm in diameter. Lesions were solitary in 82% of the affected dogs, and occurred most commonly on the hind feet (50%) and tongue (23%). With multiple lesions there was no apparent body symmetry. Microscopically, most lesions were well-defined single or multiple variably sized aggregates of amorphous to granular, lightly to darkly basophilic material with or without peripheral granulomatous reaction and surrounded by varying amounts of fibrous connective tissue. Additionally, three small nodular masses in the wall of the jejunum of a dog were diagnosed as calcinosis circumscripta. This is the first reported case of idiopathic intestinal calcinosis circumscripta in the dog.

Calcinosis circumscripta in a dog

“…calcinosis circumscripta is usually occured focally and localizated in pad of large breed dog (<2 year-old dogs) (2, 6, 10). But, it has often been confused with synovial osteochondromatositosis and chondral sarkoma (5,6,(9)(10)(11). In present case, it was detected that typical lesions of calcinosis, which had same characteristic, was circumscripted in multiple masses in proximal of right limb of 2.5 years old Rotweiller dog.…”

“…The pathogenesis of this lesions are unknown, but dog may develop suffering from serious illness such as chronic renal disease (11). It is occurred mostly in horse (between 1 and 13 years old), large dog breeds (<2 years old) which localized in pad nodullary (3,8,10).…”

“…Calcinosis circumscripta is an uncommon tumor like lesions characterizated solid or multiple masses by ectopic, dystrophic, metastatic and iatrogenic deposition of calcium salts in soft tissues (2,(8)(9)(10)(11). The pathogenesis of this lesions are unknown, but dog may develop suffering from serious illness such as chronic renal disease (11).…”

HYPERCALCEMIA AND METASTATIC MINERALIZATION INVOLVING FOOTPADS IN ROCK HYRAXES (PROCAVIA CAPENSIS)

“…13,17 Hypercalcemia secondary to chronic renal disease is the most common cause of metastatic calcinosis in dogs. 13,16 In rabbits, chronic renal disease associated with hypercalcemia and/or hyperphosphatemia is a common cause of soft tissue calcinosis as well. 6 Systemic calcinosis has been reported in horses secondary to hypercalcemia, although this was not proven to be directly attributable to renal disease.…”

Bilateral Dystrophic Calcinosis Circumscripta in a Cynomolgus Macaque (Macaca fascicularis)

“…This syndrome has been reported in nonhuman primates, dogs, cats, horses, cows, buffalo, rabbits, turtles, and captive sitatunga (Dodd and Raker 1970;Ikede 1979;Stewart, Herling, and Dalinka 1983;Line, Ihrke, and Prahalada 1984;Anderson and King 1988;O'Brien and Wilkie 2001;Yanai et al 2001;Yanai et al 2002;Tafti, Hanna, and Bourque 2005).…”