Dystrophic Calcifications in the Breast from Secondary Hyperparathyroidism

Background: Soft tissue calcification is common in patients with secondary hyperparathyroidism who have received long-term treatment with hemodialysis. However, calcifications in the breast parenchyma are not common. We report a case of a woman with dystrophic breast calcifications from secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Case Report: A 65-year-old woman presented with a palpable mass in her right breast which she had discovered 1 month ago. She had a medical history of end-stage renal disease. Mammography and ultrasound revealed large dystrophic calcifications in both breasts. Core needle biopsy was performed for calcifications in the right breast, and the pathologic diagnosis was dystrophic calcification in the stroma from secondary hyperparathyroidism.

Conclusion: Reviewing our case will contribute to a fast and correct diagnosis in patients with dystrophic breast calcifications and lab results indicating secondary hyperparathyroidism, and will help discriminate these benign lesions from malignancies.