PATHOLOGICAL CALCIFICATION

• Abnormal deposition of calcium salts in tissues is referred as pathological calcification.
• It starts in mitochondria or microsomal vesicles except for kidney where it starts at basement membrane.

Two types-

1. Dystrophic calcification-

• Deposition of calcium salts in dead and degenerated tissues.
• Normal calcium level.

It occurs due to 2 types of causes-

a) Calcification in dead tissue-

1. Caseous necrosis in Tuberculosis is the most common site for dystrophic calcification.
2. Gamna- gandy bodies in chronic venous congestion of spleen.
3. Infarcts
4. Congenital toxoplasmosis.

b) Calcification in degenerated tissues-

1. Artheromas
2. Monckeberg’s sclerosis
3. Goitre
4. Psammona bodies

2. Metastatic calcification-

• Deposition of calcium salts in normal tissues associated with deranged calcium metabolism & hypercalcaemia.

It is caused by two types-

a) Excessive mobilization of calcium from the bone-

1. Hyperparathyroidism
2. Hypercalcaemia

b) Excessive absorption of calcium from gut-

1. Hypervitaminosis D
2. Williams syndrome
3. Vitamin A toxicity

• Site of metastatic calcification are- lungs (most common), kidney, stomach, blood vessels, cornea.

Exam Important

Don’t Forget to Solve all the previous Year Question asked on Pathological clacification