Acute calcium deposits cause significant pain and swelling of abrupt onset in an otherwise asymptomatic patient, usually in the shoulder joint. Diagnosis can be difficult; the condition is sometimes mistaken for infection, malignancy, or other crystal arthropathy.
A 77-year-old, right hand-dominant woman presented with a 2-day history of acute right wrist pain and swelling. She was constitutionally well with no history of local trauma. She was unable …