Rotator cuff calcifications in pseudoxanthoma elasticum: a comparative analysis of prevalence and anatomical distribution.

Authors

Anastasia K Peeters-Klerks, Pim A de Jong, Wilko Spiering, Wouter Foppen

Published in

Skeletal radiology. Jul 21, 2026. Epub Jul 21, 2026.

Abstract

To investigate the prevalence, number, size, and distribution of rotator cuff calcifications in pseudoxanthoma elasticum (PXE) patients, relative to a comparison cohort, using computed tomography (CT).
This single-center retrospective study included adult PXE patients with available low-dose full-body CT scans, compared with a cohort of adult patients undergoing full-body 18F-fluordeoxyglucose-positron emission tomography/CT (FDG-PET/CT) scans. A blinded musculoskeletal radiologist assessed the presence, number, size, and location of rotator cuff calcifications on thin-slice axial CT images (1-2 mm), with multiplanar reconstruction. The association between disease status and calcifications were analysed using age- and sex-adjusted multivariable logistic and negative binomial regression, and mixed-effects models for anatomical locations.
Two hundred sixty-nine PXE patients (51 ± 14 years, 64% female) and 124 non-PXE patients (55 ± 16 years, 50% female) were included. A total of 138 calcifications in 82 PXE patients (prevalence, 30%; median largest calcification length, 6.0 mm; IQR 3.0-8.0) and 48 calcifications in 30 non-PXE patients (prevalence, 24%; median largest calcification length, 4.5 mm; IQR 3.0-7.0) were detected. No significant association between PXE and the presence (adjusted OR 1.54, 95% CI 0.92-2.63) or number of calcifications (adjusted RR 1.37, 95% CI 0.89-2.09) was found. However, PXE patients had an increased odds of intratendinous calcifications (adjusted OR 2.56, 95% CI 1.09-6.03) and a higher number of calcifications at this site (adjusted RR 2.31, 95% CI 1.18-4.52).
PXE was not significantly associated with the overall presence or burden of rotator cuff calcifications, but showed an increased odds of intratendinous involvement.

PMID:
42479146
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 21 Jul 2026.

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