View clinical trials related to Calcinosis.
Filter by:The purpose of this study protocol is to assess whether contrast-enhanced mammography (CEM) will increase the accuracy of characterization of microcalcifications detected on screening mammography prior to biopsy as either benign, high risk, or malignant.
Prostate calcifications can limit evaluation of the prostate due to artifact on MRI, and can limit therapy by blocking therapeutic ultrasound. There is definite need to develop and validate MR imaging techniques to visualize focal calcifications, especially for focal therapy planning and monitoring. It will obviate need for CT correlation, help in focal ablation modality selection and give true relative location of the calcification vis-à-vis visualized tumor without need for fusion. Imaging calcifications and evaluation of their effect on high energy ultrasound will help us define clinically significant calcifications. It is also the first step in development of techniques to mitigate effect of calcifications on therapeutic ultrasound. Multiple promising MR sequences are available for possible evaluation of the prostate and this study looks to evaluate the ability of those MRI sequences at detecting and accurately quantifying prostatic calcifications compared to CT, the current gold standard.
This is a single-center, prospective, open-label, randomized, cross-over study.
Calcinosis cutis refers to a group of disorders characterized by calcium deposition in the skin (1). The disorders are classified according to etiology into the following types: dystrophic, metastatic, iatrogenic, and idiopathic (1,2). Dystrophic calcification occurs in the setting of varicosities, infection, tumors, and connective tissue disorders (1). The connective tissue disorders most commonly associated with calcinosis cutis are systemic sclerosis and dermatomyositis, although it has also been reported in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, undifferentiated connective tissue disorder, and mixed connective tissue disorder (2). The pathophysiology of calcinosis cutis is not well understood, and there is a broad range of severity seen, from benign localized, small nodules to large, severely debilitating lesions (2). Although many therapies have been investigated for treatment of calcinosis cutis, including calcium channel blockers, colchicine, minocycline, intravenous immunoglobulin, and bisphosphonates, results have been mixed at best (2). Surgical removal is sometimes feasible in the case of a localized lesion, however, recurrence after surgery is common (2). Recently, several authors have reported cases of dramatic resolution of dystrophic calcinosis cutis lesions with topical sodium thiosulfate preparations (1,3,4). Systemic sodium thiosulfate therapy is commonly used to treat calciphylaxis in patients with renal disorders with very few adverse events (1). A search of the literature to date yields no formal studies that aim to determine whether topical sodium thiosulfate is truly an effective therapy for calcinosis cutis. As a result, patients are often treated with therapies that are unproven or ineffective and their calcinosis cutis eventually leads to significant pain and disability. Research Question: Does treatment of dystrophic calcinosis cutis with topical sodium thiosulfate result in diminution of the lesion and associated pain? Objective: The objective of this pilot study is to investigate whether topical sodium thiosulfate is an effective therapy for calcinosis cutis. This study will also determine the feasibility of our protocol and provide information to help direct a future full-scale trial.
Primary objectives: A. To evaluate the effect of Zortress® versus standard immunosuppression therapy on progression of CAC as evidenced by changes in Agatston scores from baseline and at 6, and 12 months in renal transplantation patients. B. To investigate progression of CAC in patients undergoing renal transplantation within the study period. Secondary objectives: 1. To evaluate in renal transplantation the effect of Zortress® versus standard immunosuppression therapy on bone mass as evidenced by changes in quantitative computed tomography (QCT) and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). 2. To evaluate in renal transplantation the effect of Zortress® versus standard immunosuppression therapy on activity of bone forming and resorbing cells as evidenced by changes in bone histology. 3. To evaluate in renal transplantation the effect of Zortress® versus standard immunosuppression therapy on biochemical parameters of bone turnover as evidenced by changes in serum Parathyroid Hormone (PTH), Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase (BSAP), Tartrate-Resistant Acid Phosphatase (TRAP), Sclerostin, Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor Kappa B Ligand (RANKL), Osteoprotegerin (OPG), , serum CTX (C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen), and urinary NTX (N-terminal cross link telopeptide). 4. To evaluate in renal transplantation the effect of Zortress® versus standard immunosuppression therapy on cardiovascular events, graft rejection and patient survival.
The purpose of this study is to determine if there is a link between calcium build up in the veins or arteries (including the veins/arteries of the heart) and deterioration of the bone. This will help understand if there is a connection between heart disease and bone disease.
Arterial calcification within the coronaries and other vessels is greatly accelerated among patients with chronic or end-stage kidney disease. The mechanisms leading to increased calcification are unknown, but include hyperphosphatemia, hyperparathyroidism and altered vitamin D metabolism. Moreover, recent data demonstrates that circulating carboxy fragments of PTH (7-84) are physiologic antagonists of intact PTH (1-84) and may directly contribute to vascular calcification. Current PTH assays no not distinguish between intact and carboxy PTH fragments leading to an overestimation of intact PTH levels. Because second generation PTH assays detect both 1-84 and 7-84 PTH fragments, the use of vitamin D analogues to treat secondary hyperparathyroidism could lead to excessive suppression of 1-84 and a preponderance of carboxy PTH fragments. Moreover, increased administration of vitamin D analogues amy contribute to vascular calcifications. To investigate these questions, we plan to investigate the effect of managing new ESRD patients using conventional and third generation PTH assays on vitamin D administration and the development of coronary calcification. Hypothesis #1: Clinical management of secondary hyperparathyroidism in new hemodialysis patients using the Scantibodies 1-84/7-84 PTH ratio for one year will reduce the amount of Vitamin D administration resulting in reduced coronary calcification compared to patients in which PTH management is accomplished by conventional, second generation PTH assay.
End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a state of increased arterial stiffness of extensive vessel calcifications, compared with the non-renal population. Both arterial stiffness and arterial calcifications are potent predictors of all-cause and cardiovascular mortality in ESRD patients. Several studies have documented the direct relationship between the extent and severity of arterial/coronary calcifications and outcome in dialysis patients. The relationship is strong no matter if arterial calcifications were quantified by electron-beam computed tomography or a radiological calcification score. Calcifications are early and progressive events in these patients. PWV is strongly related to the degree of sonographic determined arterial calcifications and EBCT-derived coronary artery calcium score in chronic kidney disease patients. Calcium-based phosphate binders are associated with progressive coronary artery and aortic calcification, especially when mineral metabolism is not well controlled. According to recent studies, sevelamer hydrochloride is a potent non-calcium-containing phosphate binder, well tolerated in ESRD. Compared with calcium-based phosphate binders, sevelamer is less likely to cause hypercalcemia, low levels of PTH, and progressive coronary and aortic calcification in hemodialysis patients. Moreover, sevelamer has a favorable effect on the lipid profile. Less is known about the relationship between sevelamer treatment and progression of arterial stiffness. To date, there is one single study examining the influence of sevelamer (versus calcium carbonate) on the evolution of arterial stiffness in a very small number (N=15) of haemodialysis patients. These study used the same patients as historical controls, thus being methodologically rather weak. Moreover, the follow-up was quite short - 6 month. The aim of the trial is to to quantify, in a randomized opened-labeled controlled trial the effect of sevelamer hydrochloride on the evolution of arterial stiffness parameters (pulse wave velocity and the augmentation index) in chronic haemodialysis patients and to correlate these parameters with arterial calcification assessed by a previous described radiological score of arterial calcification and echocardiographic parameters (left ventricular hypertrophy, LV dilatation, systolic and diastolic dysfunction).