Calcium deposits in the hand and wrist.

Calcium, or calcific, deposition disease in the form of acute calcific periarthritis of the hand and wrist is an uncommon entity that may be confused with more common crystalline or inflammatory arthropathies as well as infection. It is important for the clinician to be aware of this disease process and to include it in the differential diagnosis of patients presenting with acutely painful, focal inflammation of the hand or wrist. Nonsurgical management is often sufficient; however, considering the self-limited nature of the disease, accurate diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary antibiotic or surgical treatment.

Copyright 2015 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.