Idiopathic Calcinosis Cutis: Clinical and Histopathologic Review in a Series of 30 Patients (2000-2009)

Kwon, Na Hyun; Kim, Hei Sung; Lee, Jun Young; Kim, Hyung Ok; Park, Young Min

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Idiopathic calcinosis cutis (CC) is currently sub-classified as tumoral CC, sub-epidermal calcified nodules, idiopathic CC of the scrotum, and milia-like CC. This sub-classification system is obscure and can be confusing at times.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to characterize the clinical and histologic features of idiopathic CC, to evaluate the adequacy of the current sub-classification system, and to propose a new sub-classification system.
METHODS
Thirty patients with idiopathic CC were sub-classified according to the Lever classification and the Walsh and Fairley classification and were also categorized based on the type of the primary lesion.
RESULTS
Idiopathic CC lesions were most common on the buttock (n=7), followed by the scrotum (n=5), arms and legs (n=5), hands and feet (n=4), inguinal area (n=3), ears (n=2), neck (n=2), trunk (n=1), and face (n=1). With the Lever classification, twenty-three of 30 cases were categorized as "unclassified". With the Walsh and Fairley classification, twenty-three cases were categorized as "unclassified", whereas with our new classification system, we managed to classify all cases as either nodular or papular calcification according to the type of the primary lesion.
CONCLUSION
In this study, we identified a common location and the primary morphological features of idiopathic CC. Our findings suggest that our new sub-classification system based on the type of the primary lesion would be useful.