Chondrocalcinosis

Chondrocalcinosis, also called cartilage calcification, is the buildup of calcium salts within hyaline cartilage or fibrocartilage, the tissue that cushions and lines joints throughout the body. It is not itself a disease but a finding, an observation made through imaging tests such as X-rays, CT scans, MRI, or ultrasound, which reveal characteristic deposits of calcium within joint cartilage. The condition is closely associated with calcium pyrophosphate deposition disease, commonly known as pseudogout, in which crystals of calcium pyrophosphate accumulate in and around joints and can trigger sudden attacks of joint pain and swelling that resemble gout. It is diagnosed and monitored within the specialty of radiology, since the calcium deposits it describes are identified primarily through diagnostic imaging rather than blood tests or physical examination alone, and its presence often prompts investigation for an underlying metabolic or joint disease.