Small vessel calcification and its relationship to secondary hyperparathyroidism in the renal homotransplant patient.

Of 131 patients who received one or more renal transplants over a twelve-year period, 12 patients showed evidence of extensive small vessels calcification on routine bone surveys. All patients developed symptomatology directly attributable to advanced secondary hyperparathyroidism. In addition, all patients eventually showed evidence of extensive bone disease. Progressive small-vessel calcification in the renal homotransplant patient should alert the clinician and radiologist to underlying secondary hyperparathyroidism.