Calcium-oxalate-crystal-induced bone disease.

A 13-year-old boy with primary hyperoxaluria and a successful renal allograft developed symptomatic bone disease, hypercalcemia, and hypercalciuria. Transiliac bone biopsy revealed calcium oxalate crystals in the marrow within mononuclear phagocytes and multinucleated giant cells. Deep resorption bays were seen adjacent to these crystal-cell aggregates. Serum 1,25-(OH)2-vitamin D (calcitriol) and iPTH concentrations were low or normal. We suggest that hypercalcemia results from macrophage-mediated bone resorption initiated by Ca oxalate crystal deposition.