Calciphylaxis

Diagnosis

To determine if you have calciphylaxis, your doctor will review your medical history, assess your symptoms and do a physical exam. Tests may include:

• Deep skin biopsy. To definitively diagnose calciphylaxis, your doctor may remove a small tissue sample from an area of affected skin for analysis.
• Blood tests. Mayo Clinic labs will analyze a blood sample to measure a variety of substances in your blood — calcium, phosphorus, parathyroid hormone, aluminum, urea nitrogen, creatinine and albumin, among others — to help your doctor assess your kidney and liver function.
• Imaging studies. X-rays may show the branch-like vascular calcifications that are common in calciphylaxis. However, this is also a common symptom in other advanced kidney diseases. Additional imaging exams, such as high-resolution CT scans, mammograms or bone scans may support the diagnosis of calciphylaxis.

Read more about blood tests for urea nitrogen, creatinine and liver function tests.