[Calciphylaxis: an enigma to the nephrologist].

Calcific uremic arteriopathy (CUA), also known as calciphylaxis, is a rare condition occurring in patients with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease. It is a serious, debilitating and potentially fatal clinical disorder affecting 1-4% of the dialysis population and is associated with a high mortality rate (60-80%). The clinical picture is characterized by painful skin lesions tending to necrotic or gangrenous ulceration ultimately necessitating amputation. Severe infectious complications leading to sepsis and death are frequent. The pathogenesis of CUA is still unknown and several pathogenetic hypotheses have been put forward; this makes its treatment difficult and often empirical. The current paper presents a systematic review of recent findings on the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of CUA.