Gastric mucosal calcinosis: abnormal calcium deposition in a haemodialysis patient

Gastric mucosal calcinosis is a rare condition identified on biopsies undertaken during oesophagogastroduodenoscopy. Metastatic gastric mucosal calcinosis is gastric calcium deposition in the context of an abnormal biochemical environment, usually detected on routine biopsies or postmortem incidentally. A man in his late 70s on regular haemodialysis, with a history of end-stage kidney failure secondary to immunoglobulin A nephropathy, presented with a 3-month history of upper gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting, abdominal fullness and weight loss. Medical history included extensive coronary artery calcification and refractory secondary hyperparathyroidism. An oesophagogastroduodenoscopy with biopsies demonstrated gastric mucosal deposits of calcium. There are no prevalence or outcome data reported for gastric mucosal calcinosis; it may be underdiagnosed. This case suggests that gastric mucosal calcinosis was a plausible contributor to the patient’s symptoms and should be considered in people with known vascular and soft tissue calcification risk factors, although the association does not establish causation.