Nephrocalcinosis

  • Deposition of calcium in renal parenchyma
  • Deposition of calcium phosphate and calcium oxalate
  • Due to conditions that cause hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and increased excretion of calcium, phosphate or oxalate
  • Can be medullary or cortical
Medullary nephrocalcinosis
  • Due to metabolic dysfunction
  • More common form
  • Hyperparathyroidism
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Medullary sponge kidney disease
  • Renal tubular acidosis
  • Loop diuretics 
  • Beta thalassemia 
  • Inherited tubulopathies
  • Oxalosis 
  • Vitamin-D therapy
Cortical nephrocalcinosis
  • Renal cortical nephrocalcinosis
  • Glomerulonephritis
  • Renal allograft rejection
  • Alport syndrome
  • Oxalosis
Imaging 
  • US: hyper echoic renal parenchyma with posterior acoustic shadowing
  • X-ray, CT: high-density renal parenchyma in medulla or cortex
Read more

ALON, URI, WILLIAM H. BREWER, and JAMES CM CHAN. “Nephrocalcinosis: detection by ultrasonography.” Pediatrics 71.6 (1983): 970-973.

Schell-Feith, E. A., et al. “Ultrasonographic features of nephrocalcinosis in preterm neonates.” The British journal of radiology 73.875 (2000): 1185-1191.