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A man in his 30s, with a medical history of end-stage renal disease on haemodialysis three times a week after kidney transplant rejection, anaemia of inflammatory disease, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, hyperlipidaemia, subtotal parathyroidectomy and aortic valve replacement on Coumadin treatment, presented to our institution with glans penis pain. Examination of the penis revealed a painful black eschar with ulceration on the glans penis with surrounding erythema. CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis and penile Doppler ultrasound revealed calcifications of the abdominal, pelvic and penile blood vessels. He was diagnosed with penile calciphylaxis, a very rare manifestation of calciphylaxis characterised by penile blood vessel calcification leading to occlusion, ischaemia and necrosis. Treatment with low calcium dialysate and sodium thiosulfate was initiated with haemodialysis. Five days after the treatment started, the patient's symptoms improved., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2023. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

A 66-year-old male presented with five days of penile pain and ulceration. The patient had a history of stage 5 chronic kidney disease and repeatedly declined hemodialysis. Wound and urine cultures were unrevealing. CT of the abdomen and pelvis did not reveal any evidence of Fournier's gangrene but identified diffuse severe calcific vasculopathy. Urology and dermatology agreed on the diagnosis of penile calciphylaxis. While diagnosis of calciphylaxis often includes histologic evidence of obstructive vasculopathy, biopsy of penile calciphylaxis is contraindicated due to increased morbidity and mortality. Management focuses wound care and correction of electrolyte abnormalities responsible for calcium deposition., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The proposed image reports the case of penile calciphylaxis. Calciphylaxis is a rare obliterative small vessel vasculopathy associated with diabetes mellitus, end-stage renal disease. Penile involvement is even rarer with only 50 cases reported, and agreement on appropriate diagnosis and management is unclear. This rarity exposes, as in our situation, to misdiagnosis, with possible iatrogeny (dermocorticoides in the case of balanitis). As the biopsy of the glans is not recommended, the clinical diagnosis is essential. Diffuse calcifications appearance on the reported ultrasound could support the diagnosis., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Penile calciphylaxis or calcific uremic arteriolopathy is a rare urological condition often associated with patients undergoing renal dialysis for end-stage renal disease. The majority of cases are associated with systemic calciphylaxis. The pathophysiology, diagnosis and management of penile calciphylaxis as an individual entity has brought little attention. The rates of comorbidity and mortality of these patients are often particularly high. Early diagnosis and a multidisciplinary approach are therefore essential. We report a case of penile calciphylaxis in a 59-year-old man with end-stage renal failure on haemodialysis who was successfully managed conservatively.

Penile calciphylaxis is a rare but clinically challenging condition to manage. While multiple treatment options have been proposed, the underlying evidence is anecdotal, and the overall prognosis remains extremely poor. We describe the case of a patient who underwent urgent debridement of a suspected gangrenous penile tip, who was intraoperatively found to have penile calciphylaxis. The necrosis progressed and the patient had a glans amputation. A non-healing wound developed, requiring reconstruction with two skin grafts using foreskin by the plastic and reconstructive surgical unit. The patient was commenced on sodium thiosulfate and his wound had completely healed 2 months following his last operation. We review the literature to determine the biochemical features, management options and outcomes in patients with penile calciphylaxis., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© BMJ Publishing Group Limited 2019. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Calcific uremic arteriolopathy (CUA) or calciphylaxis is a syndrome characterized by calcification of vessels located in the dermis and adipose tissue. It commonly occurs in patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and end-stage renal disease. Clinical presentation generally begins with severe pain, followed by the presence of liveloid or purpuric plaques. Later the formation necrotic ulcers occur. This condition is associated with a poor prognosis, with a high rate of mortality within months of the diagnosis. Penile involvement is an uncommon but severe manifestation. We present an 81-year-old man with a history of diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and end-stage renal disease with a one-month evolution of painful necrotic ulcers on his glans penis. He was diagnosed with CUA. Owing to infection complicated by sepsis; penectomy was performed. Unfortunately, the patient died of myocardial infarction during his hospitalization.

We here report a case of successful endovascular therapy for penile gangrene in a patient with calciphylaxis and a long history of diabetes mellitus and end-stage renal disease on dialysis. The internal iliac artery, with 75% stenosis, was treated with balloon-expandable bare metal stent implantation, whereas the inferior gluteal artery, 75% stenosis, was treated with balloon dilatation. After endovascular therapy, the intractable penile pain immediately resolved, and penile salvage with complete wound healing was achieved 6 months after the procedure., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Calciphylaxis has seldom been reported in patients with acute renal failure or in pre-dialysis patients. It also has been reported at lower calcium phosphorous products and in patients with adynamic bone disease. We report a pre-hemodialysis (HD) patient with acute renal failure and biopsy-proven calciphylaxis involving multiple cutaneous sites with calcification of the perineal area resulting in dry gangrene of the penis that necessitated a partial penectomy. The patient had elevated serum calcium, phosphorous and parathyroid hormone level of 612 pg/mL. The same patient suffered subsequently from a calcium embolus that occluded his left ophthalmic artery and resulted in left eye blindness. Calciphylaxis is a devastating phenomenon and physicians should have a high clinical suspicion for it in HD patients as well as in patients with late stages of chronic kidney disease.

Calciphylaxis, a systemic disorder seen in 1%-4% of patients with end-stage renal disease, is a cause of penile ischemic gangrene. We present a case of successful revascularization surgery for penile calciphylaxis. An arterial bypass to the deep dorsal penile vein relieved the rest pain and stopped expansion of the gangrenous lesion., (Copyright © 2013 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Calciphylaxis is a rare, but life-threatening, disease, mostly seen in patients with renal failure, especially those undergoing dialysis. It is characterized by violaceous tender areas of cutaneous plaques, necrosis, and eschar formation, mostly involving toes and fingers, but rarely the penis. Peripheral pulses are mostly preserved. The parathyroid hormone (PTH) level is elevated, along with raised calcium phosphorus product. There is radiological evidence of blood vessel and soft tissue calcification. Predisposing factors are obesity and diabetes. It is rarely encountered by a urologist and closely resembles penile gangrene.

Introduction: Necrosis of the penis is a rare condition that may occur as a result of infectious dissemination, circulatory disorders, or even in patients with penile prostheses. It has been reported in a few patients on dialysis, usually associated with diabetes mellitus, cholesterol embolism, and calciphylaxis., Case Reports: Three patients with this condition seen at our hospital in the last 5 years are reported., Conclusions: Calciphylaxis is a rare but often fatal condition occurring in approximately 1% of patients with chronic renal failure. It is characterized by calcification of subcutaneous arteries and infarction of the subcutaneous cellular tissue and overlying skin. It is associated to a high morbidity and mortality, and diagnosis is usually based on clinical signs and symptoms. Management is controversial, particularly with regard to surgery, which may range from penectomy to local care of lesion, debridement, or antibiotic therapy., (Copyright 2009 AEU. Published by Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

The patient was a 41-year-old man who had suffered from diabetes for 24 years and had been on insulin therapy for 17 years. The patient had commenced hemodialysis in 1999. Some of his toes on both feet had been amputated in 2000 due to diabetic gangrene. The patient was admitted to our hospital in early March 2005 complaining of a painful ulcer on the tip of the penis. At the time of admission, multiple ulcers and necrosis were observed on the prepuce and penis, as well as an ulcer on the left foot and gangrene of the left great toe. Imaging studies demonstrated severe arteriosclerosis with calcification of both large and small arteries. After penile amputation was performed because of severe pain, the wound became ulcerated, and a rectal ulcer as well as skin ulcers also developed in the bilateral inguinal regions. The penile necrosis, skin ulcers, and rectal ulcer were thought to have been caused by calciphylaxis. Calciphylaxis is a disorder in which necrosis occurs at sites of arterial obstruction and calcification, and the prognosis is poor. Seventeen patients with penile necrosis due to calciphyalxis, including our patient, have been reported in Japan. They all had a long history of diabetes, and 15 of the 17 patients were on dialysis.

Background: Calciphylaxis is a rare and life-threatening condition of progressive cutaneous necrosis secondary to small- and medium-sized vessel calcification seen almost exclusively in patients with end-stage renal disease and hyperparathyroidism. Two patients had bullous lesions preceding their ulcerative lesions, an unusual presentation of this entity. One patient also had penile involvement that, to our knowledge, has not been described previously., Observations: Three patients, all of whom were being maintained on hemodialysis, developed painful, progressive leg ulcerations. Two patients had elevated parathormone levels, and the third patient did not. All patients had only very modest increases in their calcium x phosphate product., Conclusions: Calciphylaxis should be included in the differential diagnosis of panniculitis and vasculitis. It is important to diagnose promptly, as early treatment may prevent progression.