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Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

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Nephrocalcinosis - Overview

Definition of Nephrocalcinosis:

Nephrocalcinosis is a disorder in which there is excess calcium deposited in the kidneys.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Any disorder that leads to high levels of calcium in the blood or urine may lead to nephrocalcinosis. In nephrocalcinosis, calcium deposits form in the kidney tissue itself. Most of the time, both kidneys are affected.

Nephrocalcinosis is related to, but not the same as, kidney stones (nephrolithiasis).

Conditions that can cause nephrocalcinosis include:

Other possible causes of nephrocalcinosis include:

  • Ethylene glycol toxicity
  • Hypercalcemia (excess calcium in the blood) due to hyperparathyroidism
  • Use of certain medications, such as acetazolamide, amphotericin B, and triamterene
  • Tuberculosis of the kidney and infections related to AIDS
  • Vitamin D toxicity

This condition is relatively common in premature infants.

  • Reviewed last on: 8/30/2009
  • Louis S. Liou, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Urology, Department of Surgery, Boston University School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Monk RD, Bushinsky DA. Kidney Stones. In: Kronenberg HM, Melmed, S, Polonsky KS, Larsen PR, eds. Williams Textbook of Endocrinology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2008: chap 29.

Nephrolithiasis and nephrocalcinosis. In: Feehally J, Floege J, Johnson RJ, eds. Comprehensive Clinical Nephrology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Mosby Elsevier; 2007.

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