Chondrocalcinosis eMedicine Orthopedics

Description: Calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition (CPPD) disease is an arthritis variant. CPPD is actually a chemical aberration that manifests as at least 4 separate, yet related, diseases. Chondrocalcinosis has been described as the streaking of soft tissues with calcium. The term chondrocalcinosis sometimes is misapplied as a synonym for CPPD disease, but, technically, it refers to the visible presence of calcification within tissues on an imaging study.
CPPD consists of the deposition of calcium pyrophosphate crystals into soft tissue. They have been found in high concentrations in hyaline cartilage, synovial tissue, capsule, meniscus, labrum, ligamentum flavum, the soft tissue of the hand, and, rarely, in the fibrocartilage of the temporomandibular joint.
Synonyms and related keywords: calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate deposition disease, CPPD, CPPDD, calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystal deposition disease, pseudogout, tophaceous pseudogout, osteoarthritis, OA
Barkin & Wolbert 2006