Renal Calcification in the Domestic Cat

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Abstract
Morphologically similar deposits of calcium salts have been demonstrated in the renal medullary tubules of cats with both normal kidneys and cats with scarred ones. The deposits were dystrophic and occurred in the tubular basement membranes, and in the lumens as casts and as calcospherites. In the basement membranes calcification was preceded by hyalinisation and accumulation of cholesterol esters. It is proposed that calcospherites are formed from lipid from the proximal tubular epithelium. X-ray diffraction studies indicated 5 different crystalline substances. Only 2 have been identified: one resembles Whitlockite (Ca3(PO4)2), the other gypsum (CaSO4.2H2O).