Myocardial Calcifications: Thinking Beyond the Heart

Myocardial calcifications are often discovered incidentally and result from dystrophic or metastatic deposition of calcium.1 Dystrophic calcification represents the sequelae of local tissue damage with necrosis, most commonly from myocardial ischemia. Unlike dystrophic calcification, metastatic calcification is the result of abnormal calcium homeostasis, including renal failure, hyperparathyroidism, and vitamin D deficiency. Myocardial calcifications are not entirely a benign finding because they can lead to heart failure, arrhythmias, and sudden cardiac death.
Source: The American Journal of Medicine - Category: General Medicine Authors: Tags: Clinical Communication to the Editor Source Type: research