Metastatic Pulmonary Calcification: A Complication of Chronic Renal Disease

Resumo

Metastatic pulmonary calcification is a silent metabolic lung disease commonly associated with end-stage renal disease. This condition is characterized by the deposition of calcium salts mainly in the epithelial membranes of the alveoli, with the computed tomography being the most useful imaging method for its diagnosis. In this review, we describe a case of metastatic pulmonary calcification in a 57-year-old patient with chronic renal disease and kidney transplant failure. Chest computed tomography revealed centrilobular ground-glass opacities and areas of high-density consolidation distributed in both upper lobes. Over time, lung opacities can get massively calcified or become progressively denser. The resolution of pulmonary calcification in chronic renal failure can occur after parathyroidectomy, renal transplantation, or dialysis, and its early diagnosis will be a benefit for the patients’ outcome.