A Rare Case of Calcinosis Cutis: Easily Mistaken as a Foreign Body

Abstract

Calcinosis cutis is a very rare disease characterized by insoluble calcium salt deposits in the skin. There are five types of calcinosis, dystrophic type being the most common among them. Dystrophic calcinosis is generally caused by local tissue damage. We present the dystrophic calcinosis cutis case of a patient with no underlying diseases but a burn injury which occurred 10 years ago. She visited the hospital for an ulcerative wound on the same area. She also had sustained a dog bite injury on the same site 9 months ago, which was treated at an oriental clinic with no improvement. Physical examination by palpation revealed a hard mass under the skin. As the mass was of a large size, the possibility of a foreign body was considered. Surgical resection and biopsy of the mass diagnosed it as dystrophic calcinosis cutis. Although clinical features of this case were unlike previous calcinosis cutis cases, performing a biopsy proved helpful towards its diagnosis.