Calcium Deposits ( Calcification): Types, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment & Prevention

 

When your body builds up too much calcium, calcification takes place. Calcium deposits can be of many distinct types. They can develop in your soft tissues, arteries, and organs, among other places. While some calcium deposits are normal, some may indicate a medical condition that needs attention.

Calcification is the formation of calcium deposits. Age may be the cause, but there are also connections to cancer, damage, or infection.

One of the most prevalent minerals in the body is calcium. It is present in the circulation, teeth, and bones.

Excess calcium buildup in the kidneys, arteries, or pericardium—the membrane around the heart—can be dangerous.

Although it may be an indication of malignancy, calcification in one or both breasts is mostly benign.

Also Read: 17 Calcium-Rich Foods

What are calcium deposits?

When calcium builds up in your body, it can lead to calcification, also known as calcium deposits. This buildup of calcium might harden in your blood vessels, organs, or tissues. Your body's usual functions might not function properly when this occurs.

About 99 percent of the calcium in your body is used by your teeth and bones. Your blood dissolves the remaining calcium. Through your bloodstream, it makes its way to various body parts. It's typical to have some calcification. Your body may be simply reacting to an injury or inflammation.

However, there are some conditions that can lead to calcium deposits where they shouldn't be. This covers everything like your kidneys, blood vessels, and brain. Your organs and blood vessels may have problems as a result.

Which types of calcification are there?

There are numerous places throughout your body where calcium deposits can form. Calcification types include:


 Skin

Calcinosis cutis is the term for calcium deposits on the skin. You can have a calcinosis cutis anyplace on your body. The most common place for calcium deposits is on your fingertips. But your face, including your eyelids, may develop calcium deposits. Your knees, elbows, and other joints may also experience them.

Under your skin, calcium deposits appear as solid, yellow, or white pimples. The bumps can vary in size and sometimes appear in clusters. Initially, you can experience skin redness or irritation. However, the majority of people don't have any symptoms before calcium deposits appear.

 Teeth

Calcium is necessary for the formation of healthy tooth enamel. Although enamel helps shield your teeth, too much calcium can occasionally build up on them. The deposits may accumulate in your tooth pulp and around the roots of your teeth. In the center of your tooth is your dental pulp.

Accidents or dental injuries may result in calcium deposits on your teeth. They could also indicate a medical condition like kidney stones. Calcification can also result from familial hyperphosphatemic tumoral calcinosis, a rare genetic condition. Your body calcifies and has high phosphate levels as a result of this condition.

 Breasts

Usually, there are no symptoms associated with calcium deposits in the breasts. They're not big enough to feel. During a normal mammography, your healthcare professional can find breast calcification. They appear as tiny, bright white dots on a mammography.

Most of the time, calcium deposits on your breasts are not harmful. However, they can indicate that you have a higher chance of getting breast cancer. Your radiologist might recommend more tests if mammography reveals problematic calcification.

Shoulders

When you move, calcium deposits in your shoulders can be painful and cause discomfort. You can experience a reduction in your range of motion. However, shoulder calcification might occasionally show no symptoms. They might be discovered by your doctor when doing an imaging exam for an unrelated condition.

When calcium deposits develop in your tendons or muscles, a condition known as calcific tendonitis occurs. Although it can happen anywhere on your body, calcific tendonitis most frequently affects your rotator cuff. A collection of muscles and tendons that encircle the ball of your shoulder joint is called your rotator cuff. The ball of your shoulder joint is held in place in your shoulder socket by your rotator cuff.

 Brain

A disorder known as primary familial brain calcification results in hardening of the brain's blood arteries. The calcium deposits are typically seen in the basal ganglia, which are brain regions. Your body's mobility is controlled by your basal ganglia.

This type of calcification can cause movement problems. These conditions include tremors, dystonia, and an unstable gait. Additionally, you can have behavioral or mental health issues. These include dementia, memory loss, personality problems, and trouble focusing.

Kidney

Nephrocalcinosis is a disorder that arises from an excess of calcium accumulation in the kidneys. The renal medulla, the inner portion of your kidney, is where this kind of calcification typically develops. Usually, both kidneys are affected by the condition.

You may also have elevated calcium levels in your blood or urine if you have nephrocalcinosis. Kidney stones are associated with nephrocalcinosis. Along with a fever, you might have excruciating agony and see blood when you urinate. However, you could not have any symptoms at all.

Arteries

Your arteries (blood vessels) may become stiff due to calcium deposits. This raises your chance of developing cardiovascular problems. Age-related increases in coronary artery calcification are observed in 90% of men and 67% of women over 70.

According to research, arterial calcification is a precursor to atherosclerosis. Furthermore, calcification in the arteries is seen in all patients with coronary artery disease. When the blood vessels leading to your heart constrict or get blocked, coronary artery disease develops.

Causes:

Calcification is not brought on by a high-calcium diet. Calcium deposits can result from several risk factors and causes. These include age, infections, and previous cancer treatments or procedures. Additional reasons for calcification could be:

• Inflammation: Tissue damage can result from inflammation. Your body may release clumps of proteins that bind calcium as a result.

• Conditions of calcium metabolism: Hypercalcemia is a condition that can result from several conditions. An excess of calcium in the blood is known as hypercalcemia.

• Certain autoimmune disorders: Calcification can result from autoimmune diseases that impact your connective tissues or skeletal system.

Diagnosis:

The type of calcification determines the diagnosis of calcium deposits. With a physical examination, your doctor can typically identify calcium deposits on your skin.

To identify additional forms of calcification, your doctor might need to request imaging tests. Calcium deposits can be detected on CT or X-ray images. A calcium blood test can also be prescribed by your doctor. This test determines how much calcium is in your blood.

Your doctor might prescribe a calcium deposit biopsy. During a biopsy, a tissue sample is taken for testing. To confirm or rule out a cancer diagnosis, a pathologist will analyze the tissue sample in a laboratory.

Treatment:

How can calcium deposits be removed?

The location and source of the deposits determine the course of treatment for calcification. To remove calcium deposits, your doctor might suggest the following:

Skin: If there is no pain or discomfort from the calcium deposits on your skin, you might not require therapy. Certain medications may be suggested by your healthcare professional based on the type of skin calcification. These drugs include corticosteroids and calcium channel blockers.

Teeth: If your tooth is healthy and the calcium deposits are the result of dental injuries, you might not require treatment. Your dentist might be able to bleach your teeth if the discoloration is a concern. A root canal may be necessary for infected teeth. Your healthcare professional will treat the underlying disease if there is another reason for your teeth's calcification.

Breasts: You normally don't need to treat calcium deposits in your breasts. In order to look for changes, your radiologist could compare subsequent mammograms with earlier ones. Your healthcare practitioner will refer you to an oncologist if tests reveal that you have calcifications that could be malignant. A physician who focuses on cancer is known as an oncologist.

Shoulders: Physical treatment and rest may be recommended by your doctor. NSAIDs, or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines, may also be able to aid with shoulder calcium deposits. They might suggest steroid injections or irrigation with saline solution or an anesthesia if none of these work.


Brain: Calcium deposits on your brain cannot be removed by your healthcare practitioner. However, they can assist you in managing your symptoms. For example, they can prescribe specific drugs to treat seizures or the side effects of diseases like dystonia.

Kidneys: To deal with calcium deposits in your kidneys, your doctor might suggest dietary adjustments. They might recommend medications and dietary supplements to assist lower your blood and urine's elevated calcium levels. To remove calcium deposits from your kidneys, your doctor could also suggest kidney stone treatments. To assist avoid calcification in the future, they might recommend a diuretic.


Arteries: To reduce the chance of problems, your doctor can advise dietary adjustments. Diabetes, renal problems, and high blood pressure (hypertension) are all consequences of calcium deposits in your arteries.

How can calcium deposits be prevented?

By keeping monitoring your health and visiting your doctor regularly, you might be able to avoid calcium deposits. Your doctor could suggest blood tests to monitor your calcium levels if you're 65 years of age or older. Calcium deposits are more likely to arise in those under 65 who have heart defects or kidney problems. Your physician might suggest calcification tests.

Your body's calcium levels might also be impacted by several drugs. Among these drugs are:

•  Medications for blood pressure.
• Medications that reduce cholesterol.
• Hormone replacement treatment.
• Supplements containing calcium carbonate.

To learn more about how these drugs may affect your calcium levels, speak with your healthcare professional.

Additionally, giving up smoking might help avoid calcium deposits. Smoking increases the amount of calcifications in your arteries and heart.

References:

• National Organization for Rare Disorders. Primary Familial Brain Calcification (https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/primary-familial-brain-calcification/). Accessed 5/26/2022.

• Le C, Bedocs PM. Calcinosis Cutis (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28846311/). In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; July 17, 2021. Accessed 5/26/2022.

• Breastcancer.org. Understanding Breast Calcifications (https://www.breastcancer.org/symptoms/testing/types/mammograms/mamm_show/calcifications). Accessed 5/26/2022.

• Mohan J, Bhatti K, Tawney A, et al. Coronary Artery Calcification (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519037/). [Updated 2021 Sep 24]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Accessed 5/26/2022.

• MedlinePlus. Calcification (https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002321.htm). Accessed 5/26/2022.