Case report Extensive soft tissue calcification (calcinosis universalis) in systemic lupus erythematosus

SUMMARY A 21-year-old woman with long-standing systemic lupus erythematosus developed extensive calcification of the soft tissues of the thoracic and abdominal walls and extremities early in her illness, and these calcifications gradually disappeared over the course of her disease. The extent of this calcinosis and apparent spontaneous regression are unusual events in systemic lupus erythematosus. Soft tissue calcification is commonly associated with progressive systemic sclerosis and with dermatomyo-sitis (Muller et al., 1959a, b). It is less commonly found in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Only few cases of SLE with associated soft tissue calcification have been reported (Keats, 1961