← brief for 2026-09-04 · Slowing decline

Calcified amorphous tumor in a patient receiving peritoneal dialysis with severe, treatment-refractory hyperphosphatemia.

Key takeaways

One patient on peritoneal dialysis, whose blood phosphate stayed very high despite treatment, developed a rare hard calcium mass inside the heart. Doctors believe disturbed calcium and phosphate handling helps these masses form, and they are often mistaken for infection or a heart tumor. This is a single case report, so it points to a possible link, not proof of cause. It is a reminder that phosphate that will not come down on dialysis carries risks beyond bone.

Who did this work

Kumar PI (Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.) · Woo J (Cardiovascular Medicine, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.) · Kambham N (Department of Pathology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.) · Chertow GM (Division of Nephrology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.)

Source

Paper · Europe PMC, CKD · 2026-09-03
https://doi.org/10.1177/08968608261479962