Calcification is the process in which calcium salts build up in soft tissue, causing it to harden. Calcifications may be classified on whether there is mineral balance or not, and the location of the calcification.

Contents 1 Mineral balance 2 Location 3 Pattern 4 See also

[edit] Mineral balance

• Dystrophic calcification, without a systemic mineral imbalance.
• Metastatic calcification, a systemic elevation of calcium levels in the blood and all tissues.

[edit] Location

• Skeletal calcification
• Extraskeletal calcification
  • e.g. calciphylaxis
• Brain (e.g. Fahr's syndrome)

[edit] Pattern

Patterns of calcifications may indicate pathological processes. Laminated appearance suggests granulomatous disease while popcorn calcification indicate hamartoma. Malignant lesions may have stippled or eccentric lesions.

[edit] See also

• Monckeberg's arteriosclerosis
• Pineal gland

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v • d • e Inborn error of metal metabolism (E83, 275) Transition metal Cu high: Copper toxicity · Wilson's disease deficiency: Copper deficiency · Menkes disease Fe high: Primary iron overload disorder: Hemochromatosis/HFE1 · Juvenile/HFE2 · HFE3 · African iron overload/HFE4 · Aceruloplasminemia · Atransferrinemia · Hemosiderosis deficiency: Iron deficiency Zn high: Zinc toxicity deficiency: Acrodermatitis enteropathica Electrolyte PO43− high: Hyperphosphatemia deficiency: Hypophosphatemia · alkaline phosphatase (Hypophosphatasia) Mg2+ high: Hypermagnesemia deficiency: Hypomagnesemia Ca2+ high: Hypercalcaemia · Milk-alkali syndrome (Burnett's) · Calcinosis (Calciphylaxis, Calcinosis cutis) · Calcification (Metastatic calcification, Dystrophic calcification) deficiency: Hypocalcaemia · Osteomalacia · Pseudohypoparathyroidism (Albright's hereditary osteodystrophy) · Pseudopseudohypoparathyroidism see also metal metabolism