Background: Calciphylaxis is a rare and serious complication of chronic kidney disease with high mortality. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may improve wound healing and is one of several suggested treatment modalities for calciphylaxis.
Case presentation: A male in his seventies was admitted to hospital with an initially suspected infectious skin condition. The lesions caused him severe pain, and the condition continued to worsen despite antibiotic treatment. After a skin biopsy revealed calciphylaxis the patient was transferred to the university hospital for multidisciplinary calciphylaxis treatment including local wound care, analgesics, dialysis, sodium thiosulphate, vitamin K2 substitution, withdrawal of relevant medications, and HBOT. Our patient ultimately survived his calciphylaxis and was discharged with a healed wound after five months in hospital, following extensive multidisciplinary treatment including 93 HBOT sessions.
Interpretation: Calciphylaxis is a serious and often fatal condition. Early recognition and prompt assessment for a multidisciplinary approach, including HBOT, may increase the survival rate for this condition.