Calciphylaxis

Diagnosis

An evaluation will comprise a review of your medical history, an assessment of your symptoms, a physical exam and a number of diagnostic procedures, including:

• 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 laboratories will analyze a blood sample to measure a variety of substances in your blood — calcium, phosphate, 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 reveal the branchlike vascular calcifications that are common in calciphylaxis. However, this is also a common symptom in other advanced renal diseases. Additional imaging exams, such as high-resolution CT scans or mammograms, may be needed to accurately diagnose calciphylaxis.

Read more about blood tests for urea nitrogen, creatinine and albumin at MayoClinic.com.